2024-25 Team Preview: Eldorado Eagles

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024-25 TEAM PREVIEW: ELDORADO EAGLES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eldorado finished 16-13 least season, earning the No. 12 seed for the Class 5A playoffs. The Eagles fell to eventual semifinalist La Cueva in the first round. They lose some height, including 6-foot-5 forward Joshua Jackson. This season, Eldorado won't be as tall as last year's team, but they could be better shooters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our guys spent a lot of time this summer in the gym shooting the basketball,” long-time Eldorado head coach Roy Sanchez told Prep Hoops New Mexico. “I believe we're going to be a very good shooting team. I'm excited. We're not very big, but we can hit shots. We should be able to score.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2684196' first='Malachi' last='Green'] (G, Sr., 5-11)</strong>: Very good long range shooter. “He's a baller,” Sanchez said. “He's pretty good.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Emiliano Morrison (F, Sr., 6-2)</strong>: Also a standout football player. A solid summer in the gum should propel him to an outstanding senior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2085787' first='Kalija' last='Irving'] (G, Sr., 5-11)</strong>: Will start at one of the guard spots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2293836' first='Tysean' last='Austin'] (G, Sr., 6-0)</strong>: Another potential outstanding guard. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NAMES TO KNOW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pedro Fuentes (G/F, Sr., 6-2): </strong>Likely to come off the bench. Saw some action with the varsity last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2879090' first='Sullivan' last='Wilson'] (F, Jr., 6-2)</strong>: Utilized as a reserve last season. Floated between JV and varsity. Could see his minutes go up this season. Also an outstanding baseball player.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tim Kamphius (G, Jr. 5-10)</strong>: Brings plenty of speed to the court. Also floated between JV and varsity in 2023-24. Another good baseball player. Sanchez looks for him to improve his shooting. &nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KEY NEWCOMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2217079' first='Charlie' last='Wills'] (G, So., 5-9)</strong>: Will make the jump from JV to varsity this season. Put in long hours at the gym this summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Koben Zamora-Flores</strong>: Played mostly JV lasty season. Very good shooter. Streaky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Because they'll lack the height they had last season, Eldorado will likely play at a higher tempo in 2024-25.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Yeah, we're going to have a different style,” Sanchez said. “We're going to go up and down and press. It's going to be fun. We're definitely going to be a lot faster and quicker. We'll be pressing, running and shooting. We'll be shooting a lot of threes after trying to get the ball inside last season.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sanchez also expects Eldorado's depth to be improved.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We're going to be more experienced and rotating more guys in and out,” Sanchez said. “We'll have more running and pressing. Our top eight or nine guys are going to play a lot.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eldorado competes win District 5A-2 with Capital, La Cueva, Manzano, Sandia and Santa Fe. The Eagles open the 2024-25 schedule with a Nov. 26 home game against Rio Grande.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->