APS Metro Tournament Recap: Top Bigs

<p>The APS Metro Tournament began Tuesday, January 4th, and ran until Saturday, January 8th. The tournament featured 16 local teams seeded 1-16. The games were played at 4 different schools, (Albuquerque high, Atrisco Heritage, Cibola, and Sanida High) with the Semifinals and Championship game held at West Mesa High School. The event had a number of productive 4’s and 5’s. In this article, we take a look at the top Bigs from the event. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1280499" first="Alex" last="Rosales"] <em>6’5 C Sandia 2022</em> - The senior post has good size, and he moved well. I was even impressed with his form from the free-throw line. He showed decent hands, complete with a nice touch around the rim. Rosales is a willing rim runner, that plays the glue guy role for the Matadors. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1076691" first="Colby" last="Wade"] <em>6’5 PF Atrisco Heritage 2022 (#7PHNM 2022) (featured image)</em> - I don’t think you can underestimate the impact of not having Wade on the floor for Jags in the Championship game. In the games he did play, Wade displayed why he is one of the state’s most explosive athletes. Defensively he protected the rim for his club, using his explosive first jump to block and alter shots. </p> <p><strong>Santiago Gonzales</strong> <em>6’6 C Rio Grande 2024</em> - The lefty flashed some skill. He was able to catch interior passes cleanly and showed the ability to finish around the rim with his strong hand. The sophomore big finished with 8 points in a win over Eldorado.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1124213" first="Sean" last="Alter"] <em>6’8 PF Volcano Vista 2023 (#8PHNM 2023)</em> - Alter’s size and activity is a problem. The junior post commanded double and triple teams throughout the week. Offensively he turned over his left shoulder and finished with his right hand effectively. His biggest impact was on the defensive end, as he rebounded in traffic and protected the rim at a high level. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1076677" first="Jose" last="Murillo"] <em>6’9 C Highlands 2022 (#4PHNM 2022)</em> - Murrillo was a monster this week, running, dunking, and blocking shots. One of the state’s top R&amp;J athletes, the senior post, put up a double-double, averaging 28-14 for the tournament. </p> <p><em>Follow</em></p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/7outzbballclub1"><em>On Twitter</em></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/bruceprephoops/"><em>On IG</em></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PrepHoopsNV"><em>Like Us On FB</em></a></p>