Class 3A/2A: Top Shooters for the 2024-25 Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Who are some of the top shooters in Classes 3A and 2A returning for the 2024-25 season?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2300002' first='Luis' last='Archuleta'], Tucumcari</strong>: Archuleta probably doesn't get the praise or the attention he deserves but he's a very efficient shooter. He scored over 450 points last season as a sophomore for the Rattlers while shooting 53.5 percent from the field (178-333), including 40 percent from 3-point range. He has two prep seasons left. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2373607' first='Kazimieras' last='Giedraitis'], Menaul</strong>: Part of a balanced offensive attack for Menual in 2023-24, Giedraitis connected on 55.9 percent of his shots (109-195), most of them close to the basket. Menual could have a very good season in 2024-25 as its top three scorers return.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1695665' first='Nathaniel' last='Gonzales'], Robertson</strong>: Gonzales made the most of his opportunities around the basket in 2023-24, making 68 percent of his 2-point attempts. In other words, he rarely misses when he's close to the basket. Overall, he shot 56 percent as a junior. And he makes his free throws.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2373620' first='Patrick' last='Kimbrell'], Ruidoso</strong>: The 6-foot-2 Kimbrell shot exactly 50 percent from the field en route to averaging 11.0 points and nearly 9 rebounds per game. He also had over 2 blocks per game. He was productive on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>JD King, Loving</strong>: The 6-foot-3 King did a lot of the work underneath the basket for Loving as he shot 52 percent from the floor, all from 2-point range. He also averaged 9 rebounds per game. He's been playing on the Loving varsity since he was a freshman. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2175829' first='Dylan' last='Lansing'], Navajo Prep</strong>: Few schools has a better year than Navajo Prep in 2023-24. The Eagles won 20 consecutive games to close out the season, including a 10-point win over Robertson in the 3A state championship game. Lansing made 54 percent of his shots, and was deadeye from 3-point range (11-24) when he got the opportunity to launch from distance. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1687822' first='Xavier' last='Nez'], Navajo Prep</strong>: Nez is one of the top returning scorers in the state because he makes shots. He scored over 550 points for the Eagles in 2023-24, making 53 percent of his shots along the way. He fell just short of 100 3-pointers on the season, finishing with 99 as he shot 44 percent from beyond the arc. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2827399' first='Tristan' last='Polanco'], Hot Springs</strong>: A three-sport standout for Hot Springs, Polanco took advantage of his scoring opportunities in 2023-24 by hitting 59 percent of his shots. With Hot Springs losing two of its top three scorers from last season when the Tigers reached the 3A tournament semifinals, Polanco will be relied upon to carry more of the scoring load in 2024-25.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2147581' first='Nojus' last='Zalenekas'], Menaul</strong>: Another outstanding scorer for Menaul. Zalenekas averaged 13.1 points as a junior last season, connecting on 52 percent of his shots. If he improves as both a 3-point shooter and from the FT line, Zalenekas could emerge as one of Class 3A's top scorers in 2024-25.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/LuisArchul22522/status/1770910441167864219","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/LuisArchul22522/status/1770910441167864219 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>     </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->