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2016 New Mexico commit Mitch Lightfoot decides to reopen recruitment

Craig Neal

AP Photo

AP

San Diego State wasn’t the only Mountain West program to lose a 2016 commitment on Friday. 6-foot-8 forward Mitch Lightfoot, one of the top players in the southwest, announced his decision to de-commit from New Mexico Friday afternoon by way of his Twitter account. Lightfoot originally committed to New Mexico last September, nearly two full years before he’s due to set foot on a college campus.

With that being the case, a decision to open things up in order to make sure the right choice is made is understandable. In a story written by Richard Obert of the Arizona Republic, Lightfoot’s high school coach stated that the de-commitment does not eliminate New Mexico as a possible destination.

“He was young when he committed,” Gilbert (Arizona) Christian head coach Kurt Keener told Obert. “It’s not like he is eliminating New Mexico. He just wants to explore what is out there.”

Among the other offers Lightfoot had to choose from at the time of his commitment were those from Utah and Arizona State (the ASU offer came from the prior staff, of course). And according to Obert’s report Arizona State, which is now led by Bobby Hurley, has reached out to him in the aftermath of the de-commitment.

Prior to Lightfoot’s decision to reopen his recruitment New Mexico managed to land commitments from two of the top players in Arizona, with incoming freshman Dane Kuiper being the first.