The UNM men's basketball team received good news and bad news last week.
Sean Phaler, considered one of the nation's top high school recruits, committed to the Lobos on Friday.
However, the 6-foot-9-inch freshman-to-be got into a serious car accident just days before he made his decision.
Phaler is recovering from the accident that occurred in California while he was driving to his uncle's house.
"My uncle lives on a two-way mountainous highway and there was a dump truck coming the other way," he said. "There was a turn and when I went around the turn his front tire hit my back tire and flew me off the road."
Phaler sustained two cracked vertebrae and some minor cuts in the accident. After spending three days in the hospital, he said that he is now able to walk and sit up but still requires the use of a back brace.
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He also said that the injuries are fully recoverable and he should be able to play in a couple of months.
Phaler has not said whether head coach Ritchie McKay will want him to red-shirt next year or not. He said that either way, he will respect McKay's decision.
The Orange County, Calif., native visited Albuquerque and the Lobo coaching staff a couple of weeks ago and apparently liked what he saw.
"When I went on my visit I had a great time," he said. "I got along with the players really well and the coaches and I worked so well together. I felt so comfortable around them and had the most trust for them."
The Lobos cannot offer Phaler a scholarship until spring 2004.
