NMAA Boys Basketball Teams to watch Winter 2022-23

Volcano Vista Hawks – The Hawks are the defending 5A State Champions and they will have a shot at repeating with their key big man duo of Sean Alter and Kenyon Aguino. Sean is a dominating force in the paint. Kenyon is no slouch in the paint either and he has jump shot range as well. If the Hawks can can replace the perimeter talent they lost from last years team they will be lethal. Hudson Brown should be able to step into the point guard role quite nicely. If he takes on a leadership role as well look out. Devin Ramos will be a long range threat for Volcano this year. Other players to watch out for include EJ Jordan, Anthony Gonazales, and David Gutierrez.

Highland Hornets – The Hornets are the defending 4A State Champions. They lost a lot of talent from last year but Highland will be competitive under Coach Justin Woody. Alexis Dominguez and Raul Standford will bring key leadership this season. They are two of the hardest working players out there. Other key returners include Brandon Medina, post player Fernando Hernandez, and Eliab Lopez.

Las Cruces Bulldawgs – The Bulldawgs lost tremendous talent from last years runner up team but Coach William Benjamin will still bring a competitive team into the season. David Cruz and Suge Valles will be one of the best perimeter combos in the state. Caleb Carr will have an increased role as the primary post player but he should be up for the challenge. Joe Koenig, Elliot Cisneros, and Thomas Handley will help round out the team for Las Cruces.

Los Lunas Tigers – Los Lunas was dangerous last season, going undefeated in district and making it into the state tournament as the #6 seed. This year, don’t be surprised if the Tigers are beating top ranked opponents throughout the season. Two key players for Los Lunas will be Jalin Holland and Ezra Guest. They have the potential to be the best duo in the entire state of New Mexico. The Tigers have a strong supporting cast with the likes of Logan Tafoya and Geleio Griego.