5A Varsity State Playoffs Las Cruces HS VS Los Lunas HS
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April 4, 2021, kicked off a night of exciting high school playoff basketball. I watched the #1 Las Cruces Bulldawgs vs the #8 Los Lunas Tigers. This game was chess match of stall ball by Los Lunas and Las Cruces…
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Continue ReadingApril 4, 2021, kicked off a night of exciting high school playoff basketball. I watched the #1 Las Cruces Bulldawgs vs the #8 Los Lunas Tigers. This game was chess match of stall ball by Los Lunas and Las Cruces having to come up with a game plan to combat it. Here is a list of my standouts from that game.
Isaiah Carr Isaiah Carr 6'11" | C Las Cruces | 2022 State NM 6’11″ C, 2022, Las Cruces High School: Carr was a big part in the win against Los Lunas High School. He is an extremely good rebounder and has a very high finishing percentage. He is one of the top scoring players when it comes to put backs underneath the rim. Los Lunas really struggled on matching up with Carr in any way at all. At 6’11″ Carr is extremely hard to match up with any team in New Mexico. What impresses me about Carr is his ability to grab boards without getting over the back calls. He has become very good at that. He can play very well above the rim and is very hard to block. He also has a very nice mid-range shot. Los Lunas had no answer against Carr and couldn’t figure out how to stop him. With 21 points and 8 rebounds Isaiah Carr Isaiah Carr 6'11" | C Las Cruces | 2022 State NM showed why he is the number one Junior in the state.
Deuce Benjamin 6’2″ G, 2022, Las Cruces High School: The combo of Isaiah Carr Isaiah Carr 6'11" | C Las Cruces | 2022 State NM and Deuce Benjamin is a challenge for any team to stop. It was evident that Los Lunas struggled with both especially in transition. Deuce is a knock down shooter and is very hard to stop when he is coming down the lane. He makes a major impact on games with his high percentage shooting and slashing. He is a great facilitator and knows how to find his open teammates. Los Lunas wasn’t able to stop Deuces step back jumper and struggled with his ball handling ability. Cruces is definitely on track to another state championship.
Kaden Self Kaden Self 6'6" | PF Las Cruces | 2022 State NM 6’8″ F, 2022, Las Cruces High School: Kaden brings a lot to the Las Cruces Bulldawg offense. He is a strong defender and is very long and hard to get through. Los Lunas struggled bad trying to get away from corners with the length of Carr and Self trapping them. Kaden is a high impact glue guy who can get steals and stops. He also can clean up the boards pretty well. Cruces is just loaded with weapons and Kaden shows why he is such a great asset.
Jailin Holland 6’1″ G, 2023, Los Lunas High School: Jailin is getting better and better every time I see him play. He is a great player who has absolutely no fear in anything he does. He is the only 8th grader playing Varsity and is playing in the State Playoffs. He has terrific ball handling skills and it showed when he was able to put players on skates during the game. He can shoot the long ball and has a nasty mid-range game. A very impressive player who brings it everytime he is on the floor. The future is bright for this young man as he has a lot of years left in him.
Las Cruces High school advances to the semis for their second game. Look out for Las Cruces to turn heads again!