4A Basketball: 1st Round Preview & Predictions
NMPreps preview and predictions for the 2022 New Mexico high school basketball state tournament. #nmpreps
#1 Highland Hornets (22-3) vs #16 Miyamura Patriots (14-14), 7PM
Preview: The Highland Hornets enter the post season riding a 16-game win streak along with winning the District 5-4A championship. The Hornets are guided by the inside presence of Jose Murillo (2022), a top-5 prospect in New Mexico High School basketball. Murillo is averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds per game this season; Alexis Dominguez also in double figures with 13 points and 5 assists per game. The Miyamura Patriots earned their second bid to the state tournament and first since the 2018 season. The Patriots finished runner up in district 1-4A this season.
Prediction: Highland 61, Miyamura 48. The Hornets will have too much inside presence for the Patriots in this contest. Miyamura plays well in their zone but will need to find offense against a strong defensive unit at Highland.
#2 Taos Tigers (21-6) vs #15 Hope Christian Huskies (15-14), 6PM
Preview: The Taos Tigers earned one the 2-seed after a 21-win season and district 2-4A regular season championship. The Tigers feature a trio of talent and create an inside-outside threat. Look for 6-foot-7 junior Daemon Ely, 6-foot-3 Anthony Padilla (2022), and shooting guard Isiah Jeantete (2022) to provide the scoring for the Tigers. The Hope Christian Huskies are like any other 15-seed that we've seen in the 4A tournament and a testament to the parity in the classification. Junior Jett Wycoff, a 6-foot-3 wing, can knock it down and provides that "take over" approach that could bring the alerts for an upset.
Prediction: Taos 63, Hope Christian 62. It is hard to make the upset call in a 2-15 match-up. I will say there would not be a surprised fan in New Mexico that wouldn't see the Huskies winning this game. (PS it would be a shame if the Huskies didn't make the state tournament, yet there are actually folks voting for the return to DC,DRUP only making state.)
#3 Espanola Valley Sundevils (20-7) vs #14 Los Alamos (15-12), 6PM
Preview: District 2-4A opponents meet again. The 3-seed Espanola Valley Sundevils enter the post-season after finishing as district runner up and district tournament champions. The Sundevils feature a strong senior unit led by 6-6 Melaki Jones (2022), Jayden Martinez (2022), Ricky Padilla (2022), and Joshua Coriz (2022). The Los Alamos Hilltoppers have been up and down throughout the season and one of those highs came during a 47-40 win over Espanola Valley on February 11th. They finished third in district 2-4A and will look to the scoring of sophomore guard Niko Garcia. Garcia had an impressive showing from a 31-point performance on December 28th through an upset win over Belen (1/29) when he scored 18 points on back to back nights (18 vs Taos on 1/28).
Prediction: Espanola Valley 55, Los Alamos 42. The Hilltoppers have upsets this season but they'll have to shoot great, something they do at spurts this season but the Sundevils are riding on some momentum after beat Taos in the district tournament championship.
#4 St. Pius X Sartans (17-8) vs #13 Valley Vikings (12-13), 6PM
Preview: The same story for most of the first round in 4A basketball will be on upset. This one is another that people immediately considered calling upset. St. Pius X into the post-season after finish as District 5-4A runner up. They are guided by the play of Tanner Davis (2022) and Chris Coash (2023). Both guards compliment each other well but watch for Davis being a name we all know by the end of the tournament. Valley started the season 5-0 and battled through a tough schedule and district. They finished third place in district 6-4A behind favorites Del Norte and Albuquerque Academy. The Viking have the trio of Kevin Griner (2022), Isaac Tapia (2022), and Mateo Hernandez (2022).
Prediction: St. Pius X 43, Valley 41. This one will have a similar style of play to it. I look forward to seeing the knock down shooters of Tapia (Valley) and Davis (SPX) squaring off. Like the Hope Christian (6-4A), the Valley Vikings are another team from that district that has a high seed but a Final Four contender too.
#5 Albuquerque Academy Chargers (17-7) vs #12 Goddard Rockets (15-13), 5PM
Preview: The Chargers enter the post season after making a run and winning the district 6-4A championship. The Chargers were not favored to win the district but now riding an 8-game win streak head into the post-season as a Final Four pick. I really like the make-up of this team that includes a talented duo of Kellan Gehres (2023) and sophomore Joe Jack. The Goddard Rockets finished 4-2 and tied for first in district 4-4A with Artesia and Lovington. They feature 6-2 senior Noah Reese who is averaging 16 points and 9 rebounds per contest.
Prediction: Albuquerque Academy 63, Goddard 51. I'm torn on this game. Reese (Goddard) is solid but Academy could provide too many options on both ends of the floor. The kicker is Goddard is on a 4-game skid while Academy continues to get better on their win streak.
#6 Silver Colts (25-2) vs #11 Del Norte Knights (12-14), 4PM
Preview: The 6-seed Silver Colts into the plays with a classification best 25-wins and district 3-4A championship. The Colts feature a roster led by forward Regan Carbajal (2022) who plays tough defense and likes to run in transition. Also, look for shooter Julian Richard (2024) and the play of seniors Aaron Granado and Anthony Rico. The defending state champion Del Norte Knights make the long trip from Albuquerque to the deep southwest corner of New Mexico. They feature a tough foursome of Shane Douma-Sanchez (2023), Judah Casaus (2023), Harrison Frank (2023) and Josh Tellez (2022).
Prediction: Del Norte 65, Silver 57. The Del Norte Knights are Mister March. They've done their best work as a road team and although they are the 11-seed they have state championship talent to make another run at a title.
#7 Belen Eagles (16-11) vs #10 Gallup Bengals (16-12), 5PM
Preview: The Belen Eagles finished above .500 for the first time since the 2018 season and a sound turnaround from 1-win last season to 16-wins. They finished third place in district 5-4A behind 1-seed Highland and 4-seed St. Pius X. Look for one of the top seniors in New Mexico this season in senior Daniel Corrales. Gallup started the season 5-10 and battled through plenty of roster changes this season. Now that they have a healthy roster they are hoping to continue their run after winning the district 1-4A championship. Khohanon Atazhoon (2022) and Joaquin Ortega (2022) are two of the top seniors in 4A basketball to watch.
Prediction: Belen 65, Gallup 64. The question will be what upsets to pick in 4A basketball. We can't tell much from the December 7th game, a Gallup 73-63 win in Gallup. This will be a game of runs. Who has the ball late and can capitalize on second chance points or turnovers.
#8 Artesia Bulldogs (16-11) vs #9 Lovington Wildcats (20-8), 6PM
Preview: Are you ready for the fourth round of Dogs and Cats? The Artesia Bulldogs are hitting post season form and coming off a district tournament championship over first round opponent Lovington, 63-38. They split their district regular season games, both winning at home, before Artesia's championship win. Artesia has the scoring of junior guard Nick Sanchez while Lovington talented play of Tayten Hilliard (2022).
Prediction: Artesia 54, Lovington 52. This one should be closer than the game last Saturday afternoon. I'd say flip a coin but I'll go on the side of Artesia head coach Mike Mondragon who continues to have his team ready in March.
Grine's Must-See 1st RD Game: Belen vs Gallup
Grine's Upset Pick: Del Norte
Grine's "Don't Sleep on this Upset Possibility": Valley
Grine's Final Four: Highland, Albuquerque Academy, Del Norte, Taos
Grine's Champ: Highland
NMPreps preview and predictions for the 2022 New Mexico high school basketball state tournament. #nmpreps
#1 Highland Hornets (22-3) vs #16 Miyamura Patriots (14-14), 7PM
Preview: The Highland Hornets enter the post season riding a 16-game win streak along with winning the District 5-4A championship. The Hornets are guided by the inside presence of Jose Murillo (2022), a top-5 prospect in New Mexico High School basketball. Murillo is averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds per game this season; Alexis Dominguez also in double figures with 13 points and 5 assists per game. The Miyamura Patriots earned their second bid to the state tournament and first since the 2018 season. The Patriots finished runner up in district 1-4A this season.
Prediction: Highland 61, Miyamura 48. The Hornets will have too much inside presence for the Patriots in this contest. Miyamura plays well in their zone but will need to find offense against a strong defensive unit at Highland.
#2 Taos Tigers (21-6) vs #15 Hope Christian Huskies (15-14), 6PM
Preview: The Taos Tigers earned one the 2-seed after a 21-win season and district 2-4A regular season championship. The Tigers feature a trio of talent and create an inside-outside threat. Look for 6-foot-7 junior Daemon Ely, 6-foot-3 Anthony Padilla (2022), and shooting guard Isiah Jeantete (2022) to provide the scoring for the Tigers. The Hope Christian Huskies are like any other 15-seed that we've seen in the 4A tournament and a testament to the parity in the classification. Junior Jett Wycoff, a 6-foot-3 wing, can knock it down and provides that "take over" approach that could bring the alerts for an upset.
Prediction: Taos 63, Hope Christian 62. It is hard to make the upset call in a 2-15 match-up. I will say there would not be a surprised fan in New Mexico that wouldn't see the Huskies winning this game. (PS it would be a shame if the Huskies didn't make the state tournament, yet there are actually folks voting for the return to DC,DRUP only making state.)
#3 Espanola Valley Sundevils (20-7) vs #14 Los Alamos (15-12), 6PM
Preview: District 2-4A opponents meet again. The 3-seed Espanola Valley Sundevils enter the post-season after finishing as district runner up and district tournament champions. The Sundevils feature a strong senior unit led by 6-6 Melaki Jones (2022), Jayden Martinez (2022), Ricky Padilla (2022), and Joshua Coriz (2022). The Los Alamos Hilltoppers have been up and down throughout the season and one of those highs came during a 47-40 win over Espanola Valley on February 11th. They finished third in district 2-4A and will look to the scoring of sophomore guard Niko Garcia. Garcia had an impressive showing from a 31-point performance on December 28th through an upset win over Belen (1/29) when he scored 18 points on back to back nights (18 vs Taos on 1/28).
Prediction: Espanola Valley 55, Los Alamos 42. The Hilltoppers have upsets this season but they'll have to shoot great, something they do at spurts this season but the Sundevils are riding on some momentum after beat Taos in the district tournament championship.
#4 St. Pius X Sartans (17-8) vs #13 Valley Vikings (12-13), 6PM
Preview: The same story for most of the first round in 4A basketball will be on upset. This one is another that people immediately considered calling upset. St. Pius X into the post-season after finish as District 5-4A runner up. They are guided by the play of Tanner Davis (2022) and Chris Coash (2023). Both guards compliment each other well but watch for Davis being a name we all know by the end of the tournament. Valley started the season 5-0 and battled through a tough schedule and district. They finished third place in district 6-4A behind favorites Del Norte and Albuquerque Academy. The Viking have the trio of Kevin Griner (2022), Isaac Tapia (2022), and Mateo Hernandez (2022).
Prediction: St. Pius X 43, Valley 41. This one will have a similar style of play to it. I look forward to seeing the knock down shooters of Tapia (Valley) and Davis (SPX) squaring off. Like the Hope Christian (6-4A), the Valley Vikings are another team from that district that has a high seed but a Final Four contender too.
#5 Albuquerque Academy Chargers (17-7) vs #12 Goddard Rockets (15-13), 5PM
Preview: The Chargers enter the post season after making a run and winning the district 6-4A championship. The Chargers were not favored to win the district but now riding an 8-game win streak head into the post-season as a Final Four pick. I really like the make-up of this team that includes a talented duo of Kellan Gehres (2023) and sophomore Joe Jack. The Goddard Rockets finished 4-2 and tied for first in district 4-4A with Artesia and Lovington. They feature 6-2 senior Noah Reese who is averaging 16 points and 9 rebounds per contest.
Prediction: Albuquerque Academy 63, Goddard 51. I'm torn on this game. Reese (Goddard) is solid but Academy could provide too many options on both ends of the floor. The kicker is Goddard is on a 4-game skid while Academy continues to get better on their win streak.
#6 Silver Colts (25-2) vs #11 Del Norte Knights (12-14), 4PM
Preview: The 6-seed Silver Colts into the plays with a classification best 25-wins and district 3-4A championship. The Colts feature a roster led by forward Regan Carbajal (2022) who plays tough defense and likes to run in transition. Also, look for shooter Julian Richard (2024) and the play of seniors Aaron Granado and Anthony Rico. The defending state champion Del Norte Knights make the long trip from Albuquerque to the deep southwest corner of New Mexico. They feature a tough foursome of Shane Douma-Sanchez (2023), Judah Casaus (2023), Harrison Frank (2023) and Josh Tellez (2022).
Prediction: Del Norte 65, Silver 57. The Del Norte Knights are Mister March. They've done their best work as a road team and although they are the 11-seed they have state championship talent to make another run at a title.
#7 Belen Eagles (16-11) vs #10 Gallup Bengals (16-12), 5PM
Preview: The Belen Eagles finished above .500 for the first time since the 2018 season and a sound turnaround from 1-win last season to 16-wins. They finished third place in district 5-4A behind 1-seed Highland and 4-seed St. Pius X. Look for one of the top seniors in New Mexico this season in senior Daniel Corrales. Gallup started the season 5-10 and battled through plenty of roster changes this season. Now that they have a healthy roster they are hoping to continue their run after winning the district 1-4A championship. Khohanon Atazhoon (2022) and Joaquin Ortega (2022) are two of the top seniors in 4A basketball to watch.
Prediction: Belen 65, Gallup 64. The question will be what upsets to pick in 4A basketball. We can't tell much from the December 7th game, a Gallup 73-63 win in Gallup. This will be a game of runs. Who has the ball late and can capitalize on second chance points or turnovers.
#8 Artesia Bulldogs (16-11) vs #9 Lovington Wildcats (20-8), 6PM
Preview: Are you ready for the fourth round of Dogs and Cats? The Artesia Bulldogs are hitting post season form and coming off a district tournament championship over first round opponent Lovington, 63-38. They split their district regular season games, both winning at home, before Artesia's championship win. Artesia has the scoring of junior guard Nick Sanchez while Lovington talented play of Tayten Hilliard (2022).
Prediction: Artesia 54, Lovington 52. This one should be closer than the game last Saturday afternoon. I'd say flip a coin but I'll go on the side of Artesia head coach Mike Mondragon who continues to have his team ready in March.
Grine's Must-See 1st RD Game: Belen vs Gallup
Grine's Upset Pick: Del Norte
Grine's "Don't Sleep on this Upset Possibility": Valley
Grine's Final Four: Highland, Albuquerque Academy, Del Norte, Taos
Grine's Champ: Highland
