Braden Appelhans, the 260th ranked player in the 2022 class on 247sports, has committed to New Mexico. Appelhans is from Blue Springs, Missouri, but attends Western Reserve Academy in Ohio. He describes himself as a very versatile player, who can play 1-3.

We had the opportunity to talk with him about his commitment to New Mexico:

What made you choose New Mexico?

“Just the relationships I had with the coaches and I was their guy they were going after. So it felt like family and home to me.”

How is New Mexico planning on utilizing your skillset in their system?

“My guess is that they’re planning to utilize me with a lot of ball screens and dribble handoffs, as well as being able to shoot the ball well.”

How is your relationship with Coach Richard Pitino?

“My relationship with Coach Pitino is very strong,” Appelhans said. “We at least talk once a week and we have just been getting closer the more we’ve talked to each other.”

Are there any players that you want to team up with and try to recruit to New Mexico to join you in the class?

“I haven’t thought of that yet,” Appelhans said. “But maybe in the near future there might be some players that I might hit up.”

What is your message to Lobos fans about the future outlook of the program?

“My message for Lobo fans is that I’m ready to go and help be a part of something special.”

What goals do you hope to achieve in your college career?

“My goals for my college career are to be Mountain West Freshman of the Year and be All Mountain West First Team.”

Appelhans also told us of that at the time of his commitment other schools that were recruiting him hard were Wichita State, Vermont, Eastern Michigan and Akron.