Look who's back: Mountain West Freshman of the Year Jake Hall will return to UNM

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Looks like he got us all to bite on the shot fake this time.

Jake Hall, the Mountain West Freshman of the Year who entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal a week ago, leading Lobo fans to go through all the emotions, will be back in the cherry and silver next season.

The 6-foot-4 guard who led UNM in scoring this past season and became just the third true freshman named to the Mountain West’s First Team (along with Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Bennett), has taken his name out of the NCAA’s database meant to inform schools across the country of a player’s intention to transfer.

Hall received interest from blue-blood programs like Duke, UConn, Kansas and others in the past week, a hot commodity after averaging a team-best 16.4 points per game and hitting 44% of his 3-pointers — making a program single-season record 117, which is the fourth most ever made by a Division I freshman.

.@jake_hall7 running it BACKhttps://t.co/AIUyzatqUk#GoLobos | #RealOnes26 pic.twitter.com/njhnxG6FPJ

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) April 16, 2026

Wednesday, Hall’s younger brother, 6-1 point guard Dax Hall, signed to play for the Lobos next season after winning the CIF San Diego Section Player of the Year one year after Jake Hall did the same a year ago, though at different high schools.

Now, the Pit will have not only one iconic ramp, but two Halls in it next season, as well.

The Hall family has said on many occasions their relationship with and trust in UNM coach Eric Olen, who first started recruiting Jake Hall when the latter was 14 years old, is as high as it could be. Any talk of a transfer was only because the opportunity, and frankly money, being offered was simply too much not to consider.

Terms of whatever revenue share or NIL deals the Halls have to play at UNM next season are not public.

This means the Lobos now have returning starters in Jake Hall, point guard Uriah Tenette (was sixth man until starting final six games of the season) and guard Chris Howell (started first 11 games until a season-ending oblique injury).

UNM has also added true freshmen in Ben Schuch, a 6-9 forward from Austria and Dax Hall and landed transfers Imran Suljanovic, a 6-8 forward from St. Johns and Austria National Team teammate of Schuch, and Hudson Mayes, a 6-5 guard from UC San Diego.