NMPreps Road to the PIT: 2A Bracket Watch
NMPreps' Road to the PIT marks the countdown to the 2024 New Mexico high school basketball state tournament. This bracket watch examines locks, automatic bids, at-large bids, and projected district standings.
#1 Academy for Technology and the Classics (Auto) vs #16 McCurdy (At-Large)
Scoop: ATC is our lock as the District 2-2A champion. The final criteria points battle with Tularosa is a close one. McCurdy's presence as the 16-seed may be surprising, but they could be a formidable opponent. They are our projected 5-2A fourth-place finisher.
#2 Tularosa (Auto) vs #15 Clayton (At-Large)
Scoop: Tularosa could very well secure the 1-seed in the bracket, currently standing at 11-1 in Week 8. They would be the DC from 3-2A. Clayton faces a tough challenge in the competitive 6-2A and is our projected fourth-place finisher in this four-team district.
#3 Rehoboth Christian (Auto) vs #14 Jal (At-Large)
Scoop: This might be a bit unexpected, but Rehoboth would claim the 1-2A championship and garner quality criteria points, especially with other, more challenging districts facing internal battles. Jal would make the trip north as a projected 4-2A third-place finisher.
#4 Eunice (Auto) vs #13 Navajo Pine (At-Large)
Scoop: Currently, our projected 4-2A champion Eunice could secure a top-four seed, benefitting from other districts' battles. Navajo Pine is a projected 1-2A runner-up.
#5 Texico (Auto) vs #12 Mora (At-Large)
Scoop: Today, we give Texico a slight edge as the 6-2A champion, but this district boasts two other teams in the top-8, potentially making a run at a state championship. Mora is our projected 5-2A third-place finisher.
#6 Mesa Vista (Auto) vs #11 Menaul (At-Large)
Scoop: The Trojans are on the rise, having defeated Pecos on January 16, 2023, and securing a top-8 seed. They are our projected 5-2A champions. Despite recent setbacks, Menaul is still favored to be the 2-2A runner-up.
#7 Santa Rosa (At-Large) vs #10 Loving (At-Large)
Scoop: Our first at-large team, the Santa Rosa Lions, could pose a threat to Tularosa in the second round. They are our projected runner-up from 6-2A behind Texico. Loving is our projected 4-2A runner-up and could surprisingly secure the 8-seed by winning key games.
#8 Pecos (At-Large) vs #9 Escalante (At-Large)
Scoop: Pecos is our projected third-place finisher from 6-2A, likely having enough on their resume to secure a top-8 spot or, at worst, a 9/10 seed. It could be a challenging matchup for potential 1-seed ATC. Escalante is the projected 5-2A runner-up and could even claim the 8-seed in this matchup.
NMPreps' Road to the PIT marks the countdown to the 2024 New Mexico high school basketball state tournament. This bracket watch examines locks, automatic bids, at-large bids, and projected district standings.
#1 Academy for Technology and the Classics (Auto) vs #16 McCurdy (At-Large)
Scoop: ATC is our lock as the District 2-2A champion. The final criteria points battle with Tularosa is a close one. McCurdy's presence as the 16-seed may be surprising, but they could be a formidable opponent. They are our projected 5-2A fourth-place finisher.
#2 Tularosa (Auto) vs #15 Clayton (At-Large)
Scoop: Tularosa could very well secure the 1-seed in the bracket, currently standing at 11-1 in Week 8. They would be the DC from 3-2A. Clayton faces a tough challenge in the competitive 6-2A and is our projected fourth-place finisher in this four-team district.
#3 Rehoboth Christian (Auto) vs #14 Jal (At-Large)
Scoop: This might be a bit unexpected, but Rehoboth would claim the 1-2A championship and garner quality criteria points, especially with other, more challenging districts facing internal battles. Jal would make the trip north as a projected 4-2A third-place finisher.
#4 Eunice (Auto) vs #13 Navajo Pine (At-Large)
Scoop: Currently, our projected 4-2A champion Eunice could secure a top-four seed, benefitting from other districts' battles. Navajo Pine is a projected 1-2A runner-up.
#5 Texico (Auto) vs #12 Mora (At-Large)
Scoop: Today, we give Texico a slight edge as the 6-2A champion, but this district boasts two other teams in the top-8, potentially making a run at a state championship. Mora is our projected 5-2A third-place finisher.
#6 Mesa Vista (Auto) vs #11 Menaul (At-Large)
Scoop: The Trojans are on the rise, having defeated Pecos on January 16, 2023, and securing a top-8 seed. They are our projected 5-2A champions. Despite recent setbacks, Menaul is still favored to be the 2-2A runner-up.
#7 Santa Rosa (At-Large) vs #10 Loving (At-Large)
Scoop: Our first at-large team, the Santa Rosa Lions, could pose a threat to Tularosa in the second round. They are our projected runner-up from 6-2A behind Texico. Loving is our projected 4-2A runner-up and could surprisingly secure the 8-seed by winning key games.
#8 Pecos (At-Large) vs #9 Escalante (At-Large)
Scoop: Pecos is our projected third-place finisher from 6-2A, likely having enough on their resume to secure a top-8 spot or, at worst, a 9/10 seed. It could be a challenging matchup for potential 1-seed ATC. Escalante is the projected 5-2A runner-up and could even claim the 8-seed in this matchup.
