Men's Basketball Adds Trio of Talented Transfers
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team has added a trio of talented transfers in guards KJ Jenkins and Taryn Todd, and forward Gethro Muscadin, totaling six new players to sign onto the Lobo squad in the Richard Pitino era.
Jenkins, Todd and Muscadin join point guards Jamal Mashburn Jr. and Jaelen House as well as forward Jay Allen-Tovar for the 2021-22 roster.
Jenkins comes to UNM by way of North Georgia and Kilgore College while Todd joins UNM after two seasons at TCU and Muscadin comes from the University of Kansas.
Two of the three are international additions as Muscadin is from Gonaives, Haiti and Todd hails from Ontario, Canada.
KJ Jenkins | 6-2/175 | G | Atlanta, Ga.
KJ Jenkins comes to the Lobos after competing at the University of North Georgia and Kilgore College over the past two seasons. In his redshirt-freshman season at North Georgia, Jenkins led his team with 14.4 points per game to go along with 4.1 rebounds, good for second on the squad, and 2.2 assists per game. Last season at Kilgore, he posted 16.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
A highly-decorated transfer, Jenkins was named 2020 Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year while at North Georgia and earned Region XIV MVP and First Team All-Region honors while at Kilgore. In addition, he helped his Kilgore team to the Region XIV Championship after defeating Trinity Valley, 68-67.
Coach Pitino on Jenkins: “KJ Jenkins was one of the best 3-point shooters in JUCO basketball last year. He also has the ability to score in a variety of ways. He lives in the gym and will fit perfectly in our locker room.”
Jenkins on Why He Chose UNM: “I chose UNM because I knew this was a great opportunity to challenge me as a player and a person. Tough players, tough conference, great coaches and most importantly, the best fans. I knew this team will demand my best every day in the classroom, weight room and on the court.”
Taryn Todd | 6-5/180 | G | Vaughan, Ontario
Todd joins the Lobos after spending the last two seasons at TCU. After redshirting his first season in 2019-20, Todd competed in 26 games for the Horned Frogs as a redshirt-freshman in 2020-21. He averaged 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 17.6 minutes per game.
Todd finished third on the team in 3-point percentage, shooting 38.3 percent from behind the arc, and racked up at least 10 points twice including a season-high 11 against Iowa State on Feb. 9, to go along with a season-high five boards.
Prior to attending TCU, Todd was ranked the 13th-best player in Canada by North Pole Hoops. He also earned a three-star rating by 247Sports after competing for Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev. where he averaged 12.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals.
Coach Pitino on Todd: “Taryn brings exactly what we need: versatility at the guard spot. He has a high basketball IQ and makes others better. He has great speed and a unique ability to affect the game on both sides of the ball.”
Todd on Why He Chose UNM: “I knew this school had a winning culture in the past and I felt I can bring that winning culture back to the city.”
Gethro Muscadin | 6-10/229 | F | Gonaives, Haiti
Muscadin comes to UNM after spending his freshman season at Kansas where he competed in 11 games for the Jayhawks in his inaugural season. He saw a total of 31 minutes on the floor and collected 10 rebounds while going 1-for-2 from the floor.
Muscadin entered his collegiate career ranked as the No. 17 best center in the 2020 class by Rivals.com. He played his senior prep season at Aspire Academy in Louisville, Ky. where he started 11 of 17 games averaging 12.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in 2019-20. He posted nine games with 10 or more rebounds and recorded six double-doubles.
Coach Pitino on Muscadin: “Gethro was a top priority for us right when he entered the portal. He has the size, skill and athleticism to compete right away.”
Muscadin on Why He Chose UNM: “I thought this was the right fit for me and my future. I have a great relationship with Coach Pitino, he wants to do something special there and I want to be a part of that.”