Lobos Hit Rock Top: ISU Transfer Commits to UNM
Photo Courtesy of Iowa State Men’s Basketball X Page
The Pit will have a new JT next season.
And he is bigger than the old JT.
JT Rock, a 7-foot-1, 260-pound transfer from Iowa State, announced his commitment to UNM men’s basketball via X.
Rock played high school basketball at Lincoln High School in South Dakota, where he averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and blocked over four shots per game as a junior.
Rock was a former AA South Dakota Player of the Year in 2023 and was listed Top 100 4-Star recruit. He was ranked No. 68 by ESPN, No. 79 by Rivals and No. 99 by 247Sports in the class of 2024. Rock chose Iowa State over offers from Wisconsin, Purdue, Creighton, Iowa, Nebraska Kansas and others.
Rock skipped his senior season and reclassified into the class of 2023. He was seventeen when he joined Iowa State and was reportedly the youngest player on a men’s college basketball roster, according to a press release from Iowa State’s Athletic Department. He redshirted at Iowa State as a true freshman.
Photo Courtesy of Iowa State Men’s Basketball X Page
During his redshirt year, Rock worked on building strength and adjusting to the speed of Division I basketball in the Big 12.
“Constantly staying in the weight room, really attacking in there every day to build strength to get my body where it needs to be to be ready to play in the Big 12,” Rock said back in October 2024.
Rock was listed between 235 and 240 pounds at the time of his commitment. He is currently listed at 260 pounds.
Rock only logged 21 minutes in nine games last season.
He scored five points and pulled down six rebounds.
Rock struggled to find time on the floor amongst a loaded frontcourt for Iowa State.
ISU head men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger said before the season he didn’t think Rock would see a lot of minutes this year.
“For JT, there is still going to be opportunities to learn and grow because the front line, especially in our league, and we are fortunate in our program, just so much older and more experienced,” Otzelberger said.
While Rock did not see the floor at Iowa State, his highlights from the AAU circuit show he has a versatile combination of size and shooting ability:
These clips are from May 2022 and Rock has grown substantially in three years.
But Rock shows that he can stretch the floor from beyond the 3-point line, block shots and also be an inside presence scoring with his back to the basket.
His ability to knock shots down from behind the arc is no doubt part of the reason he committed to UNM men’s basketball coach Eric Olen.
From a defensive standpoint, how will Rock fit into Olen’s schemes?
Last year, with an undersized lineup at UC San Diego, Olen employed a mix of matchup zone and man-to-man.
A matchup zone would allow Rock to play in the paint, challenge shots, and rebound with his seven-foot size without having to guard out on the perimeter.
However, Clint Allard, the architect of Olen’s matchup zone, is one of the only two former UCSD assistants who did not accompany Olen to UNM.
He took the head coaching position at UCSD.
Rock may have to adjust to the game’s speed and extend his defense out on the perimeter for Olen next season.
But the 2025-26 Lobo basketball roster continues to grow.
Rock is the eighth player to join Olen since he was hired.
