Kayde Dotson, Jovan Milicevic officially sign on as future Lobos

Lobos get commitment from Class of 2024 Texas combo guard Kayde Dotson

"I like the program that they have, playing in the Pit is a once in a lifetime opportunity plus coach Pitino and the progress that they've made since he's been there," Kayde Dotson said.

Hoops notebook: Power forward Jovan Milicevic commits to UNM, preseason polls include Lobos

Jovan Milicevic, a 6-foot-10 power forward from Toronto who is playing this year at Dream City Christian School in Arizona, has committed to play for the UNM Lobos. He is the second recruit committed to Richard Pitino and the Lobos in the Class of 2024.

Now it’s official.

Kayde Dotson, a 6-foot-2 combo guard from Beaumont (Texas) United High School, and Jovan Milicevic, a 6-10 forward from Toronto who is playing this season at Dream City Christian High School in Glendale, Arizona, each signed their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period, becoming the first two signees of the Lobos’ 2024 recruiting class.

While the transfer portal era of college basketball has forced an evolution in recruiting nationwide, some say at the expense of traditional recruiting of high school players, UNM has remained steadfast in wanting to get two or three freshmen per class with the hopes of both development, and retention, to add to however many transfers they bring in each spring and summer.

In Pitino’s past two recruiting classes, with assistant coach Isaac Chew often leading the recruiting efforts, UNM has brought in Class of 2022 freshmen Donovan Dent, Quinton Webb and Braden Appelhans and in the Class of 2023, Tru Washington and JT Toppin.

As for the two future Lobos, each is coming off a stellar summer circuit and saw their stock rise.

Dotson, a three-star recruit who gave a verbal commitment to UNM on Sept. 20, raised his stock this past summer, averaging 18.0 points and shooting slightly above 40% from 3-point range for his JL3 (John Lucas 3) EYBL at the highly regarded Peach Jam that attracts every major college program.

“He’s a dynamic scoring guard who has won everywhere he has been,” Lobo coach Richard Pitino said in a news release. “I expect him to come in and make an immediate impact on and off the court.”

Dotson, who said in the school’s release, that he is excited about the “year-to-year progression of the program under Coach Pitino” and told the Journal in September he loves the freedom he sees Pitino allow his guards to play with on the court.

As for what Lobo fans can expect from him, he said in September: “They’re gonna get a dog that’s gonna go hard every day. They’re going to get a winner. I’ve won at every level, so I don’t plan on losing now.”

Milicevic, a four-star recruit according to ESPN whose parents are from Serbia, has already competed internationally, playing for Team Canada in the U17 FIBA World Cup and more recently shined for Arizona Unity on the Nike EYBL Circuit where he was coached by former UNM assistant Jerome Robinson, also from Toronto and also an alumni of Canada’s National Team system.

“Lobo fans are going to love Jovan,” Pitino said. “He is a skilled forward who can score a variety of ways and has an extremely high basketball IQ. He’s a winner and will be a great representative of our program on campus and in the community.”

Milicevic said he liked chemistry he felt with future teammates and the coaching staff when he visited Albuquerque on his in-person recruiting visit.

In October, he told the Journal he likened his game to that of Nikola Jokic or Kevin Love — both big men who are known for elite passing skills and high on-court awareness of where teammates are on the court.

“(Lobo fans will) definitely see someone that loves to win,” Milicevic told the Journal. “I feel like I can really affect the game in multiple ways. I am a three-level scorer. I really just look forward to helping the Lobos win and get to the NCAA Tournament.”