Top Players from the 2022 Class
NMPreps.com will release names throughout the summer with our new player rankings. We will get you ready for the 2021/2022 season. A reminder that we will release a few names each day until we announce all players.
Players will be listed alphabetically. This Fall we will release our Top-25 for the 2022 class followed by our Top-50 overall in New Mexico.
Deniece Ryan (Highland HS): Quick-twitch athlete who can blow by defenders with the ball. She can score in a variety of ways, off penetration to the bucket with a nice floater or if left alone will hit the three. She'll need to embrace being the leader and go-to player this year. Ryan is good and just waiting for her to play with confidence to be great; she can be great.
Jaelyn Bates (Volcano Vista HS): Bates has been a top-10 player in the NMPreps Player Rankings for four years now, a very small number will reach that feat. The Volcano Vista Hawks went 13-0 last season and Bates continued her stellar play with 16 ppg, 4.5 steals, and 2.3 assists per game. Bates recently committed to division one University of New Mexico.
Jayden Jenkins (Robertson HS): Jenkins made a name for herself this postseason as she carried the Robertson Cardinals to the state championship game. A competitive and fiery forward that embraces contact and finishes well. At 5-10 she could be a force again this coming season and Robertson likely the favorite.
Jerzie Jones (La Cueva HS): The Bears along with Jerzie Jones hit our radar mid-season during the short Spring schedule. However, Jones is a must-see shooter that hit 27 threes last season, In the game,x we saw she went 3 for 5 from behind the arch. She averaged 17 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game as a junior.
Juliana Aragon (Bernalillo HS), The four-year starter led the state in scoring last with 26.7 ppg. She has helped guide the Lady Spartans to a pair of Elite Eight showings and three state tournament appearances, both of which are likely records. Aragon holds two offers from this summer - New Mexico Highlands and Trinidad State (JC).
Kiiyani Anitielu (Farmington HS), When the season tips off Anitielu will be a five-year starter for the Lady Scorpions. This season she averaged 21.3 ppg for the Scorpions guiding them to an 8-3 overall record. The 5-7 guard is one of the top shooters you'll find in the state
Natalia Chavez (Volcano Vista HS): Another familiar name on the list of top players from the '22 class. Chavez was the second-ranked player in the NMPreps Rankings last season and had a remarkable season to go with it. She led the team in scoring with 17 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.4 steals. She also hit the game-winning shot to win the 5A state championship. Chavez has a few division one offers that include Colorado State University with interest growing.
Payton Edwards (Moriarty HS): Edwards led the Pintos in scoring, primarily off a high volume of shots but she has the green light because she can knock them down. Edwards provides scoring that was lacking in the Pintos the last two years and will be the focus of the offense moving forward.
Updated 7/10/2021
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