Lobos welcome transfers Jamal Mashburn Jr., Jaelen House
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (BVM) — Two talented transfers are joining the University of New Mexico men’s basketball program for the 2021-22 season and one of them is already quite familiar with new Lobos head coach Richard Pitino. UNM announced Tuesday that former Arizona State point guard Jaelen House and former Minnesota point guard Jamal Mashburn Jr. will both be transferring to Albuquerque.
Mashburn Jr. will be following his former coach, Pitino, to UNM after playing his freshman season with the Gophers and averaging 8.2 points in 29 games. Mashburn Jr., a three-star prospect coming out of Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire) is the son of former NBA star Jamal Mashburn, who played under Richard’s father Rick Pitino at Kentucky before being picked fourth overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1993 NBA Draft.
We are excited to officially announce the additions of Jamal Mashburn Jr. and Jaelen House to our roster! Both extremely talented players with deep basketball roots.
Welcome to the Lobo Family Jamal and Jaelen! 🐾🏀#GoLobos https://t.co/Br3zTnPCbv
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) April 20, 2021
“We are excited about the addition of Jamal Mashburn Jr. to our basketball program,” Richard said in a statement. “He was one of the better freshmen in the Big Ten towards the end of the year and I am confident that he will hit the ground running on the court and in the classroom from day one.”
House comes to UNM for his junior season after he averaged 5.3 points and 18.8 minutes as a sophomore for the Sun Devils. The former four-star prospect and 4A Player of the Year out of Shadow Mountain High School (Phoenix) is also the son of a former NBA player. Eddie House, Arizona State’s all-time leading scorer, had an 11-year career after being drafted by the Miami Heat in the second round of the 2000 draft and won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
“Jaelen House is a phenomenal addition to our basketball program,” Richard said. “He is very good with the ball, makes others better and is an elite-level defender. We expect Jaelen to make an immediate impact right away.”
The additions of Mashburn Jr. and House will help the Lobos as they look for a big bounce-back year after tumbling to 6-16 this past season. New Mexico hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 2014.
