Deraje Agbaosi Joins New Mexico Men’s Basketball Program

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico men’s basketball program announced Monday the addition of Deraje Agbaosi, a transfer forward from North Alabama. The 6-7, 215-pound native of Union, N.J., joins the program as a non-scholarship athlete after playing the past two seasons for the Lions.

Agbaosi appeared in 33 games off the bench for North Alabama over the past two seasons, averaging 1.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in 9.2 minutes per contest.

“We are excited to add Deraje to our basketball program,” said head coach Richard Pitino. “He did some very good things at North Alabama. He spent some time here, playing high school basketball in Albuquerque, so he already has a connection to our community. Deraje is a great kid who will fit well with our team with what he brings to the lockerroom and to the court.”

Last season, as a sophomore, Agbaosi appeared in 24 games as the Lions reached the CBI. He had a season-high six points at Florida Gulf Coast and a career-high eight rebounds vs. Williams Baptist. As a freshman in 2021-22, Agbaosi appeared in nine games off the bench, highlighted by a seven-point, six-rebound performance at Florida Gulf Coast in his final game of the season.

A native of Union, N.J., Agbaosi returns to Albuquerque, where he played high school basketball at Eldorado. In his senior season, in 2019-20, he earned second-team All-State honors as he averaged 16.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Agbaosi played a postgraduate year at Phoenix Prep in 2020-21 before enrolling at North Alabama.

Agbaosi is the fifth transfer to join the Lobos for the 2023-24 season, along with Mustapha Amzil (Dayton), Jemarl Baker, Jr. (Fresno State), Nelly Junior Joseph (Iona) and Isaac Mushila (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi).