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UNM MEN'S BASKETBALL

UNM Lobos sign Italian pro forward Federico Grani, offer scholarship to former La Cueva Bear

The 6-foot-9 forward averaged nearly eight points and six rebounds per game in Italy's Serie B league this past season

Federico Grani signs with UNM Lobos
Federico Grani, a 6-foot-9, 23-year-old Italian forward with pro experience signed to play for the UNM Lobos next season.
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The Journal is keeping tabs on all offseason roster moves for the Lobo men鈥檚 basketball team 鈥 who is leaving, who is returning, who hasn鈥檛 decided 鈥 on its Transfer Portal Tracker (CLICK HERE).

Dipping again into international waters, the UNM Lobos on Wednesday landed a commitment from 6-foot-9 Italian forward Federico Grani.

The 23-year-old played professionally this past season for Moncada Energy Agrigento in the Italian Serie B league, averaging 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 37 games this season and is now the 12 committed or signed player for the 2026-27 Lobo men's basketball season.

鈥淣ext stop: sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥 was his message posted on his Instagram page Wednesday morning along with a picture of him in a Lobos jersey, his name at the top and the word 鈥淐ommitted鈥 across the bottom with a UNM Lobos logo on the image.

By Wednesday afternoon, the same graphic with one noticeable difference was posted on the UNM Lobo men's basketball social media pages. The difference? The word "Committed" was changed to "Signed."

UNM and Grani are still working through just how long he will be allowed to play based on his previous experience at the professional level 鈥 where the college athletics system essentially isn't in place and turning pro, or playing for a professional club, is commonplace. Not all professional leagues, the NCAA has determined, automatically disqualify a player from retaining eligibility at a U.S. university.

It is the same process UNM went through over the past year for former Lobo starting forward Tomislav Buljan, who was also 23 and entering college for the first time after playing professionally in Croatia. He was initially granted just one season of playing eligibility, which UNM appealed, and won, getting Buljan an extra season to play. After the season concluded with the April 2 NIT semifinal loss to Tulsa, Buljan transferred to Big Ten school Maryland.

New offer

Former La Cueva High School student Eric Jacobsen, a 6-foot-11 forward who played this past season as a senior for Brewster Academy prep school in New Hampshire, received a scholarship offer this week from the UNM Lobos.

Eric Jacobsen is the younger brother of 7-4 Purdue center Daniel Jacobsen, who also attended the prestigious Brewster Academy. Eric had a torn ACL as a junior that hindered his recruitment (or ability for schools to see him play) over the past year, but he came on strong late in his senior season and in particular in the recent spring EYBL circuit 鈥 showing the knee is healthy.

Amzil a champion

Former UNM Lobo Musapha Amzil led KB Trep莽a to a 98-78 win over Bashkimi on Wednesday for a 4-0 sweep to clinch the Kosovo Superleague championship.

KB Trep莽a, located in Mitrovica, has won the league title three straight seasons.

In Wednesday's Game 4 victory, Amzil had 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Back in Game 1, the 6-9 forward went off for 21 points, 14 rebounds.

Former Lobo now an Aggie?

Former UNM Lobos student manager 鈥 and Santa Fe native 鈥 Isaiah "Zeke" Brooks-Sena was announced this week as a new assistant coach for Jason Hooten and the New Mexico State Aggies.

鈥淲e are extremely excited to welcome Zeke to our staff,鈥 Hooten said in a statement from the school. 鈥淗e possesses many of the same qualities I've seen in the young assistants who have gone on to become highly successful in this profession ii intelligent, hardworking, dependable, team-oriented and a true competitor.鈥

Brooks-Sena, who has a master's in recreation and sports administration, spent the past two seasons as the Director of Scouting and Analytics at Oklahoma State. He also had stops at Western Kentucky, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Akron after four years as part of UNM's respected men's basketball managers program.

Another win in the Pit

Lobos Chris Howell, who is returning for another season, and Milos Vicentic, who has exhausted his playing eligibility, collected two of the more than 3,600 degrees handed out by the University of New Mexico last week as part of spring commencement ceremonies.

Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) .