2025-26 Team Preview: Rio Rancho Rams

2025-26 RIO RANCHO RAMS PREVIEW   OVERVIEW   A new era begins at Rio Rancho. Shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 state basketball tournament in March, Rams head coach Wally Salata was dismissed as head coach following a 15-13 season, his 16th at the helm of the Rio Rancho program. The Rams made the state tournament but lost to Sandia in the first round.   Atrisco Heritage head coach Steve Heredia was hired to replace him. He inherits a roster that lost just three seniors from last year's team and returns four of its top five scorers. The Rams will also have some noticeable size with a potential starting front line listed at 6-foot-5, 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-4.   “It's been a breath of fresh air, both ways,” Heredia told Prep Hoops New Mexico. “From my end and the players' end. We started in April and jumped into the summer right away. We played a lot of games in May and June and had a lot of success. Right now, we're a work in progress like everybody else. We have a lot of pieces to work with and build on. We're going to be pretty deep. We're also going to be fast. We're not slow and clunky.”     Among the out-of-state trips Rio Rancho took after Heredia was hired was to the University of Oregon in Eugene.   “My philosophy is to do the simple stuff really well,” Heredia said. “From there, we gradually build and implement as the season goes. There are too many coaches in this state, so you don't want to show too much, too early. If you do, they're destroy it when the time comes.”                   PLAYERS TO WATCH   [player_tooltip player_id='2706557' first='Noah' last='Lovato'] (Jr., 6-4, F): Led the Rams in scoring last season (11.8 points per game) and was second in rebounding (4.5 rpg). Excellent shooter. Connected on 61.9 percent of his shots in 2024-25. Played defensive end for the football team.  “Noah is a physical, strong player that likes to bang inside,” Heredia said. “He has a high motor and is very competitive. He wants to be successful.”   [player_tooltip player_id='2694572' first='Cayden' last='Richardson'] (Sr., 6-5, F): Averaged 8.4 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds per game. Excels at playing with his back to the basket. Often plays above the rim. Also able to score and make plays from the perimeter. “Cayden is very athletic and very raw,” Heredia said. “He's a young senior. He just turned 17. He has a high ceiling. He's getting some next level looks.”     [player_tooltip player_id='2402350' first='Kayden' last='Decker'] (Sr., 6-5, F): Averaged 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last season as a junior. Connected on 58 percent of his shots. “We have good length, which is nice,” Heredia said. “That's refreshing compared to my previous job. It's a lot different. At Atrisco, we tried to play fast and use that to our advantage.” Decker was sidelined by health issues last season, Lost about 10-15 pounds. “Kayden is arguably our most skilled offensive player,” Heredia said. “He's super skilled.”   [player_tooltip player_id='2695232' first='Jordan' last='McNeely'] (Sr., 6-0, G): Led Rio Rancho in 3-point shooting last season with 35 triples. Second in assists at 2.1 per game. Led the Rams in attempted 3-pointers by a wide margin. Clearly, he has the freedom to shoot from behind the arc when he's open.                            NAMES TO KNOW   [player_tooltip player_id='2839414' first='Dashon' last='Bynum'] (So., 6-1, G): Likely begins the new season as Rio Rancho's starting point guard. Sizzling speed. “Dashon is crazy fast,” Heredia said. “He is soccer fast. Very skilled. He has a chance to play some college basketball. His upside is pretty high.”   [player_tooltip player_id='1698813' first='Chris' last='Lucero'] (Sr., 6-1, G): Averaged 6.1 points in 18 games last season as he battled injuries. Good shooter. Second on the Rams last season in 3-point shooting with 23. Made close to 40 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. “We like what Chris has shown us,” Heredia said. “He has an ability to put the ball in the basket.”   Deshawn Sweet (So., 5-9, G): Wing player. Brings energy when he comes off the bench.   Zeke Chavez (Sr., 6-2, G): Another player who excels coming off the bench and adding energy to the team on the floor. Good defensive player.   KEY NEWCOMERS   Jaylen Sealy (So., 5-8): Could see action at point guard. Good shooter. Coaches are pleased with his development. Played mostly with the Freshmen Team in 2024-25.   Jalen Johnson (Jr., 6-2): Promising player that suffered a knee injury last season. Show glimpses of his potential during the summer. Adds size and depth.          FINAL THOUGHTS   Rio Rancho opens the 2025-26 season on Mon, Nov. 24 with a home game against Los Alamos. After that, the Rams travel to Clovis and participate in the Artesia Tournament. They host their own tournament Dec. 29-31, opening with Valley.   Rio Rancho competes in District 5A-1 with Cibola, Cleveland, Farmington, Piedra Vista and Volcano Vista.

2025-26 RIO RANCHO RAMS PREVIEW