For the second straight day, Creighton landed a recruit, though this time it was a completely under-the-radar transfer: former New Mexico Lobo guard Damien Jefferson. The 6’5″, 190-pound guard from East Chicago Central High School was recruited to New Mexico by new CU assistant Alan Huss, and played one year in Albuquerque. He’ll sit out the 2017-18 season and have three years of eligibility beginning in 2018 now that he’s joined Huss in Omaha.
Jefferson was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and ranked in the Top 150 recruits in the 2016 class, and when he committed to the Lobos, he was touted as a player whose athleticism and toughness would make him a plus-defender and rebounder — two areas the Bluejays always seem to need help.
As a freshman at UNM, Jefferson saw action in 29 games, playing around 15 minutes and averaging 5.3 points and 2.3 rebounds. He did score in double figures six times, including a career-high 14 in mid-February against Boise State, and had a career-high nine rebounds in a February game at UNLV. He was a decent shooter, making 60-137 (43.8%) from the floor, but for some reason nearly a third of his shot attempts came from outside — where he shot just 21% (9-42).
He visited Omaha on Monday:
And announced his commitment on Thursday afternoon:
The announcement was cheered by Coach Greg McDermott, who tweeted this from Brooklyn where he waits with Justin Patton to see where the former Bluejay will be drafted:
Here’s some video content on Jefferson, beginning with a clip New Mexico produced last fall to introduce him before the season:
His career-high for points came in that February 14 game against Boise State; here’s highlights from that game. Jefferson is #24 in the white jerseys.
And finally, here’s a fun video of Jefferson and Virginia’s Kyle Guy going off for a combined 73 points in an Illinois high school game during their senior seasons in 2016: