Darius Carr requests National Letter of Intent release from New Mexico State

New Mexico State signee Darius Carr has requested to be released from his National Letter of Intent after the basketball program suspended operations indefinitely.

According to a report from Stadium’s Jeff Goodman, New Mexico State will be done for rest of the season. Goodman also provided more details on the situation, reporting multiple players allegedly hazed a teammate on more than one occasion. A police report was filed, and that led to the decision to shut down operations.

More on the previous allegations against the New Mexico State program

Aggies guard Mike Peake was involved in a homicide on the New Mexico campus in November, leading to the decision to cancel the game between the two teams. A 19-year-old UNM student was the victim and police told the Albuquerque Journal two men and a 17-year-old girl conspired to get Peake to campus to “assault” the student.

Then, according to a report from KOAT-TV in Albuquerque, coaches left the New Mexico campus in a bus while investigators were still trying to interview them and locate the gun. This led police to believe the gun could be on the bus, and resulted in an officer speeding down the interstate with sirens on to pull them over.

Ultimately, the gun was not on the bus, but was found back at the team’s hotel in the possession of assistant coach Dominique Taylor. The coach initially told police he did not know where the gun was.

Carr’s statement

Darius Carr sent the following statement to On3 regarding his decommitment:

“Due to recent and ongoing situations at New Mexico State, I will be asking for the release of my NLI and my recruitment will be reopened.

“I would like to thank New Mexico State for recruiting me and the Aggies will still be an option.”

Scouting Report

“Darius Carr’s explosion pops off the page immediately,” On3’s Jamie Shaw writes. “He is a quick-twitch guard who touches the paint and finishes above the rim with ferocity. His length and pop give him the tools to be a high-end on-the-ball defender. The jump shot is streaky, but he is confident with it, especially off the bounce. He can get to his spots in the mid-range. A score-first combo guard, there is some electricity in his game.”

Carr — a 6-foot-3 point guard out of Los Angeles (Calif.) Fairfax — committed to the Aggies last October, before signing in November. He ultimately chose New Mexico State over Mississippi State and St. John’s but also received offers from UConn, Kansas State, Washington, Xavier, and others.

Nick Schultz contributed to this report.