D1 · Conference USA

New Mexico State Men’s Basketball Recruiting: Roster & Openings

KenPom #191 · 16–16 · 2025–26 · Division 1 · Conference USA · Las Cruces, NM

New Mexico State finished 16–16 (C-USA 8th, KenPom #191) in 2025–26. 14 players hold the 2026–27 roster; 11 are new this season.

Roster data through 2026–27

Roster14 players
New this season11
Transfer additions7
Clearest projected openingGuards · 2028
Most common home stateCA (4)

Where the door opens

our roster projection · your arrival year

Guards: open from 2028 — 6 ahead.

Forwards: blocked until 2029.

2027
Gcrowded9 ahead
Fblocked4 ahead · multi-yr
2028
Gopening6 ahead
Fcrowded4 ahead
2029
Gopening4 ahead · multi-yr
Fopening3 ahead
2030
Gopen4 ahead
Fopen1 ahead

Projections for 2029, 2030 are low-confidence reads.

Guards in that room (9)
DJ Dudley6′3″Sr
Gabe Pickens6′0″Jr
Caden Deffebaugh6′5″Fr
Jermaine Washington6′1″Jr
Delan Grant6′2″Fr
Gabe Warren6′6″Sr
Jachai Cantave6′1″Fr
Omarr Smith6′4″RS-Fr
KK Robinson6′0″Grad
Forwards in that room (4)
Leopold Levillain6′9″So
Mark Lavrenov6′8″So
Phoenix Woodson6′8″Fr
Jae'Coby Osborne6′6″Jr
Those openings are for the roster in general. See whether your position, size and profile fit them →

If you want to play at New Mexico State

How to get recruited here

For 2027 arrivals the roster projection reads: G crowded (9 ahead), F blocked (4 ahead · multi-yr).

Of the latest cycle's 12 arrivals, 5 came straight from high school and 7 from the transfer portal.

Most arrivals come from CA, TX, AR.

6 of 14 recent arrivals held a national ranking — 6 of 14 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

13% of last season's scoring returns.

The roster, as a depth chart

2026–27 · 14 players

Guards 9 of 14

Gabe Warren6′6″Sr · final yr
Caden Deffebaugh6′5″Fr
Omarr Smith6′4″RS-Fr
DJ Dudley6′3″Sr · final yr
Delan Grant6′2″Fr
Jermaine Washington6′1″Jr
Jachai Cantave6′1″Fr
Gabe Pickens6′0″Jr4.5 PPG
KK Robinson6′0″Grad · final yr

Frontcourt 5 of 14 · forwards + centers

Adrame Diongue7′0″Sr · C · final yr
Leopold Levillain6′9″So · F
Mark Lavrenov6′8″So · F
Phoenix Woodson6′8″Fr · F
Jae'Coby Osborne6′6″Jr · F6.0 PPG
freshman final year — spot opens returning

Returning production

13%of recorded scoring returns
0 of 5top scorers returning
Top returning scorers
Jae'Coby Osborne6.0 PPG in 2025–26 · returning
Gabe Pickens4.5 PPG in 2025–26 · returning

Computed from 12 of 15 players on the 2025–26 roster with recorded stats; "returning" means listed on the 2026–27 roster.

Who actually gets onto this roster?

How players arrive

5from high school7via the portal

7 of 14 roster spots were filled out of high school or held over.

Rankings

6 of 14

6 of 14 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

Best-ranked: KK Robinson #63.

Where from

CA 4 · TX 4 · AR 1 · AZ 1 · IL 1 · MD 1

8 international: Pointe-Noire; Dakar, Senegal; Lagos; Queensland and 4 more

High schools: Wasatch Academy ×2; Bella Vista Prep; Dream City Christian and 2 more

Transfer flow

named arrivals and departures

2025–26 → 2026–27 · in

→DJ Dudley
→Leopold Levillain
→Mark Lavrenov
→Adrame Diongue
→Jermaine Washington
→Gabe Warren
→KK Robinson

2025–26 → 2026–27 · out

←Cyr Malonga
←Teysean Eaglestaff
←Amarco Doyle
←Augustine Ekwe

How this roster compares

Conference USA (10 programs, 2025–26 medians)
MeasureNew Mexico StateConference
Average guard height6′2″6′3″−1″
Average frontcourt height6′9″6′9″
Roster size1415−1
Freshman share36%23%+13pp

The five-year arc

kenpom rank · wins · conference finish
#762021–22#2062022–23#279→ moved to the C-USA2023–24#1052024–25#1912025–26
27–7 · WAC 1st9–15 · WAC 11th13–19 · C-USA 8th17–15 · C-USA 2nd16–16 · C-USA 8th

Coaching staff

Jason HootenHead coach
Preston LairdAssistant coach
Brandon BarnesAssistant coach
Isaiah Brooks-SenaAssistant coach
Jevon MamonAssistant coach
Staff changes13 on-court staff changes in 4 offseasons — 5 before 2023–24, 4 before 2024–25, 3 before 2025–26, 1 before 2026–27.

Academics

published admissions data
Acceptance rate89%
SAT midpoint1030
ACT midpoint20

How this page is made: Rosters: official New Mexico State rosters, 2025–26 and 2026–27, read from the athletic department's own site · Season: New Mexico State's 2026–27 roster is posted, so this page reads it; the conference comparison uses 2025–26, the newest season every program has on file. · Stats: 2025–26, the last season played — the 2026–27 season has no games yet. · New this season: players not listed on the 2025–26 roster; a newcomer who is not a freshman counts as a transfer addition · Ratings: KenPom, five seasons; conference finish computed among same-conference teams by rating · Openings: Depth Chart's roster projection from listed class years; confidence stated per year · Sample: among players who made a college roster — the data cannot see who didn't. Among players who made a college roster. Model judgments describe positions and cohorts, never a named player's future. Refreshed automatically when the rosters change. Corrections: research@mydepthchart.com.

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