Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

New Mexico signs 2014 forward, New Zealand native, Tohi Smith-Milner

Craig Neal

Craig Neal

Charlie Riedel

With the loss of forward Cameron Bairstow (exhausted eligibility) and center Alex Kirk (entered NBA Draft) this offseason, New Mexico needed to add some size this offseason to bolster its frontcourt depth.

Head coach Craig Neal added an international piece that should help with that this week as the Lobos signed forward Tohi Smith-Milner to a NLI, according to a release from the school.

The 6-foot-9 Smith-Milner is a native of Auckland, New Zealand and played for New Zealand’s U-20 and U-18 national teams and will try out for the senior national team in June as he attempts to play in the 2014 FIBA World Championships in Spain.

“We are really excited to have Tohi joining our program,” Neal said in the release. “Tohi comes to us with good size at 6-feet-9-inches and 240 pounds. He is a versatile player who can play inside with his size but can also step out and shoot three’s. We are fortunate to sign him after being the first program to recruit him. He will join us later this summer after trying out for the New Zealand national team in June.”

Smith-Milner had a good career in New Zealand as he led Rosmini College to a national championship in 2011 while also making the all-tournament team.

New Mexico’s 2014 recruiting class includes Smith-Milner, junior college transfers Jordan Goodman and J.J. N’Ganga and high school center Joe Furstinger and wing Xavier Adams.

Follow @phillipshoops