PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico Head Men's Basketball Coach Brent Owen has announced the first signings of the 2022 recruiting class.

Owen and the team will welcome two first year students in Jose Murillo and Erasmo Carreon, along with two junior college transfers Dwayne Chester and Malique Oates. Carreon and Chester will add depth to the point guard position, while Murillo and Chester will be a presence in the post.

Murillo comes to Portales after a decorated career at Highland High School. Most recently, the 6'9" center helped his team win the New Mexico 4A State Championship after averaging 36 points and 18 rebounds in the tournament. Murillo's crowning achievement in the tournament was a 40 point and 20 rebound performance in the championship game. After the season, Murillo picked up Metro Player of the Year honors, Metro Defensive Player of the Year, an All-Metro MVP honors.

The Albuquerque, N.M. native averaged a double-double with 23.9 points per game and 12.3 rebound per game. Murillo made his presence known on the defensive end, averaging 3.2 blocks per game. Murillo guided the Hornets to a 26-3 record, along with a perfect 8-0 in district play.

"We are thrilled to add Jose to our roster. One of our goals in recruiting is to make sure we secure the best players in our state and Jose has shown that he belongs at the top of the class in New Mexico this season," said Owen. "Jose has exceptional length with a 7'2 wingspan that will make him a force in the Lone Star as a shot blocker and above the rim finisher. Jose has as pure of a heart as anyone we have ever recruited and is #ALLIN on helping us change the direction of our program. The Portales community will love this young man," said Owen.

Carreon rejoins his former Highlands teammate after spending two years in college in Mexico, and comes to Eastern with all four years of eligibility. At Highland High School, Carreon finished the 2020 season with 14 points per game, four rebounds per game, and four assists per game.

"Erasmo is a good ball handler and shooter. He is crafty around the rim and plays the game with poise," said Owen. "As an older freshman, he comes to us with good strength and maturity that will serve him well in our league. Erasmo spent two years as a teammate of Jose and they complimented each other very well. We look forward to seeing them back on the court together next season," said Owen.

Chester comes to Eastern from Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colorado after making 29 starts in 31 games for the Rattlers. In the 2021-22 season, Chester helped the program reach the Region IX Tournament Final and finishing 24-7. Chester contributed 6.5 points per game and facilitated one of the top scoring teams in the nation. His 182 total assists rank 14^th in the nation for the NJCAA, and averaged 5.9 assists per contest. On defense, Chester lead the Otero program with 55 steals in the season.

"Dwayne is a tough, hard-nosed, true point guard. I fell in love with how hard he played and his unselfish, pass first mentality," said Owen. "He was a leader for a program that won twenty-four games last season and hosted a regional tournament. We are excited to get Dwayne to Portales this fall and turn him loose on opposing point guards" said Owen.

Oates joins the team for Columbia State Junior College in Columbia, Tenn. Playing in all but one game for the Chargers, Oates put up 10.2 points per game and pulled down a team high 8.5 rebounds per contest. Oates is an efficient shooter, averaging 59.4% from the field, and had a his best career game with 23 points and 14 rebounds on 10-11 (90.9%) shooting against Cumberland University.

"Malique is a big, physical 6'9 post player. He will add height and width to our roster that I felt like we were really missing last season," said Owen. "Malique will be a force inside and has the ability to hit an open jumper. We loved his rebounding as well, as he averaged nine per game and often came up with the ball in pivotal moments," said Owen. "He was a first-team all-region selection as a freshman at his junior college where they won twenty-five games. We see Malique playing a pivotal role right away and look forward to maximizing his potential through his development over his three years here in Portales," said Owen.

Eastern New Mexico Men's Basketball look to continue recruiting to prepare to the 2022-23 Lone Star Conference season. The Greyhounds completed its first full season after missing out on the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 restrictions.