Preseason Watch List: 5A District 1, Potential Impact Players

<p>As we get closer to the start of the season I want to give a preview of what I expect to happen during this year. My Preseason Watch List will go district by district highlighting players, teams, and games to watch when the season kicks off.</p> <p>District 1 is known to be the best district in the state producing numerous of champions and final four contenders in the past 5 years, and I expect that to continue. Here are the players I think are sleepers, and have potential to impact this season.</p> <p>SF [player_tooltip player_id="1076649" first="Steven" last="Barela"] 2021, Cibola: A defensive minded wing, Barela will be the senior leader for a Cibola team that always seems to be young. He will take on the toughest defensive assignments, and help the young guards adjust to the speed of the game. Averaged 5 points, 3 assists, and a steal per game last season.</p> <p class="p1">SF [player_tooltip player_id="1076683" first="Keagan" last="Caton"] 2022, Rio Rancho: Caton was a swing player last season mainly getting the bulk of his minutes on JV, but the kid is a 6’3 sharpshooter that is improving his ball skills. A sneaky athletic kid, his dad was a division 1 basketball player at the University of Utah, and I expect him to blossom in to a division 1 prospect over the next two years.</p> <p>PF [player_tooltip player_id="1130107" first="Malachi" last="Crawford"] 2021, Atrisco: Crawford enters this season as a 2nd year starter, he grew more comfortable in his role as the season waned averaging 6 points, and 6 rebounds. He stands at 6’4, long and lanky, is a solid help defender, and rebounder.</p> <p class="p1">CG [player_tooltip player_id="1076638" first="Jeff" last="Davison"] 2021, Cleveland: Jeff provided valuable minutes for Cleveland off of the bench last year. He’s able to control the pace, and run a team. A tremendous QB, he reads defenses well and is a vocal leader on both ends of the floor.</p> <p class="p1">SG [player_tooltip player_id="1076717" first="Zavier" last="Lloyd"] 2023, Cibola: Lloyd saw his minutes increase last season as he become more adjusted to the speed of the game. A great defender, and has transitioned into more of a guard with improved handles, and shooting ability. He has grown to about 6’2, and should take on a much bigger role this year. It will be interesting to see how much he is able to contribute on both ends.</p> <p>SG [player_tooltip player_id="1124236" first="Elijah" last="Foster"] 2024, Volcano Vista: Another stud freshman that enters the district, Foster, is extremely athletic and a great on ball defender. Stands at 6’2, he is very skilled and will need to fine tune his footwork and basketball IQ. Strong, quick, and has great end to end speed. Once he becomes a more consistent shooter schools will be knocking on the door!</p> <p class="p1">SF Nathan Randle 2022, Atrisco: Nate grabs rebounds, and defends at a high level. He is a bit undersized at 6’1, but makes up for that with his exceptional strength. Solid post skills, and an underrated playmaker on the ball and out of the post, he is a bruiser with the skill to truly play the point forward position.</p> <p class="p1">SG [player_tooltip player_id="1076676" first="Diego" last="Sharp"] 2022, Cleveland: Sharp should add some scoring depth to the Cleveland roster. He’s athletic slasher who can finish above the rim, and a streaky shooter. He should see his minutes increase due to graduation.</p>