2024-25 Team Preview: Cleveland Storm

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024-25 TEAM PREVIEW: CLEVELAND STORM</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Cleveland High School still celebrating the Class 6A football state championship won last weekend, the Storm boys basketball team opened the 2024-25 schedule Tuesday night (Dec. 3) &nbsp;at home against Los Lunas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The start of a new season finally allows the Storm to put the disappointing end to the 2023-24 campaign behind them. Cleveland went 20-7 during the regular season and district tournament, and were seeded No. 3 for the Class 5A playoffs, offering hope the Storm could make a deep run and make some noise at the Pit. But they were knocked off by No. 14 seed Sandia at home in the first round, ending their season prematurely.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cleveland lost five players to graduation, including football standout Strat Shufelt, who's now at UTEP, and seven overall. The Storm return just one starter and several players who had bench roles in 2023-24. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We're still building our identity, what type of team and what type pf program are we going to be,” Cleveland second-year head coach Zack Cole told Prep Hoops New Mexico. “For us, it starts on the defensive side of the ball and being locked in. We had the potential to be a great defensive team last year and we didn't quite get there. We want to play fast when we transition from defense to offense. With this being my second year, a lot of the details are sinking in a little easier.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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='1326930' first='Remy' last='Albrecht'] (G, Jr., 5-10)</strong>: Our No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class. Cleveland's lone returning starter. Combo guard. Expected to handle most of the point guard duties. Very versatile player. “The great thing about Remy is he can do a little of everything,” Cole said. “We want him to have the ball in his hands as much as possible. When teams start to deny him, we have to get him off the ball and run him through traffic and some screens and free him up. We fully expect teams will try to take him out of the game.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2569360' first='Titus' last='Sutton'] (G/F, Sr., 6-2)</strong>: Plays mostly point&nbsp; guard and shooting guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2684173' first='Tyrell' last='Lopez'] (F, Sr., 6-0)</strong>: Expected to see most of his action from the wing spot. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bronson Cole (G, Sr., 5-10)</strong>: Son of the head coach. Good shooter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>NAMES TO KNOW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2085714' first='Ajay' last='Vigil'] (G, So., 5-9): </strong>Promising young player. Saw action for the varsity last season as a freshman. Expected to fill a major role for the Storm. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cannon Cole (G, So., 5-10)</strong>: Younger brother of Bronson Cole. Floated between JV and varsity last season as a freshman. Should fill a backup role this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2882843' first='Noah' last='Valler'] (F, So., 6-3)</strong>: Member of the championship football team. Played for ‘C' team and JV last season. Leaped up the depth chart with a tremendous summer. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2488780' first='Jace' last='Bracken'] (G, So., 6-0)</strong>: Along with Vigil, Valler and Cannon Cole, Bracken is the fourth talented member of the Storm's up-and-coming sophomore class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KEY NEWCOMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Psalmon Kegler (F, Sr., 6-3): </strong>An outstanding defensive linemen for the Storm football team, Kegler played JV last season and could have a major role on the varsity this season. Brings great energy and versatility on defense. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After opening the season with home games against Los Lunas and Clovis,  Cleveland will host a tournament from Dec. 12-14. The Storm face Miyamura in the 1^st round. They'll spend the second half of December in the southern region of the state with road games at Las Cruces and Organ Mountain and a trip to the Hobbs Tournament. Their first round game in that tournament will be against a school from Wichita Fall, TX.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"It's a new look team," Cole said. "But it's Year 2 of similar concepts. We're expecting our guys to get better and better at those." </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It's Game Day! In the Thunderdome! <a href="https://twitter.com/coachzcole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachzcole</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StormBasketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StormBasketball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EarnIt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EarnIt</a> <a href="https://t.co/4YC0rmsntj">pic.twitter.com/4YC0rmsntj</a></p>&mdash; Cleveland Storm Basketball⚡️ (@cleveland_bball) <a href="https://twitter.com/cleveland_bball/status/1864034323520733314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/cleveland_bball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cleveland_bball</a> Season begins tomorrow night at 7pm on the NFHS Network and Sports Primo! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dontwaitvaccinate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dontwaitvaccinate</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/_NMAA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_NMAA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/VSCHS_Storm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VSCHS_Storm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RRPS_Athletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RRPS_Athletics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/baronabeyta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@baronabeyta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamDiehl15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AdamDiehl15</a> <a href="https://t.co/6e3Z2TdmPS">pic.twitter.com/6e3Z2TdmPS</a></p>&mdash; Sports Primo (@sportsprimo2) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportsprimo2/status/1863748689828962506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->