Report: New Mexico showing interest in transfer guard

According to a tweet from The Portal Report, North Alabama guard Taye Fields has reported interest from New Mexico during his time in the college basketball transfer portal.

A fifth-year senior guard from Opelika, Alabama, Fields started all 35 games this season in his lone year at North Alabama. A great rebounder at 6-foot-4, Fields averaged 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 36 percent from three-point range. Fields had 12 games with double-digit rebounds, including a 23-point, 17-rebound effort in a January win over Stetson.

Fields spent his first three collegiate seasons playing at Division II Missouri Western State. He played in 88 games, making 68 starts for the Griffons. A two-time All-Conference selection, Fields led the team in rebounds, assists, blocks and steals as a sophomore. As a junior, he averaged 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game.

As a high school senior, Fields averaged 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists per game to help Lee-Huntsville High to the 5A State championship, their first in more than a decade. He was named MVP of the state tournament, finishing with nine points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals in the final game. The Portal Report lists Ole Miss, Rutgers, Temple, VCU, East Tennessee State, Marshall and Sam Houston as other schools that have expressed interest in Fields.

New Mexico lost nearly its entire roster to graduation or the transfer portal following Richard Pitino’s exit to Xavier. Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan Dent (UCLA) was joined by Tru Washington (Miami), Braden Applehans (Drake), Filip Borovicanin (Xavier), Jovan Milicevic (Xavier) and Quinton Webb (Cal State Northridge) as notable Lobos in the portal.

Head coach Eric Olen has begun the rebuild, adding several players over the past few weeks since he was officially hired in Albuquerque. High school recruit Jake Hall and junior college recruit Antonio Chol join four additions that Olen has landed from the portal. Chris Howell and Milos Vincentic followed Olen from UC San Diego, while brothers Kevin and Kallai Patton have transferred in from USC.

Olen has announced the hiring of five assistant coaches since taking over. Tom Tankelewicz, Sam Stapleton and Mikey Howell followed Olen from his staff in San Diego, while Mike Roberts (UTEP) and Michael Wilder (UC Irvine) were announced to the staff this week.

MORE SAN DIEGO STATE NEWS & ANALYSIS