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<p><strong>2026-27 LA CUEVA BEARS PREVIEW</strong></p>
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<p><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></p>
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<p>La Cueva went 24-7 and reached the semifinals of the Class 5A state tournament last March. But the Bears will feature a different look in 2026-27 due to graduation and transfers. La Cueva's top three scorers have moved on. But a talented core returns along with some promising newcomers, as the summer AAU circuit and team tournaments showed.</p>
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<p>“We're not going to be super big,' La Cueva head coach Eric Orell said. “Right now, our tallest player is about 6-3. But we're going to be able to put some shooters on the floor. We're going to try to spread the floor. I'm excited about this group. They play well together. I'm excited to see where it goes.” </p>
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<p><strong>PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2822061' first='Payton' last='Fuller'] (Sr., 6-2, G)</strong>: La Cueva's top returning scorer. Averaged 5.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a junior. Shot 50 percent from the field. Superb summer on the AAU circuit. The Bears will be counting on him to produce points. Spent the summer improving his shooting from long distance. Known for his entertaining dunks. “We're going to let Payton go to work,” Orell said. “He's very good in transition and getting downhill. He'll be surrounded by guys who can shoot the ball. Payton will be the guy everybody sees on the scouting report and the highlights. He put in a lot of work into his shot in the offseason. If he gets more consistent at that and knocks down some threes, he'll be extremely hard to guard.”</p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2318843' first='Kobe' last='Cooper'] (Sr., 5-11, G)</strong>: Another player who will have an enhanced role in 2026-27. Averaged 5.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game as a junior. Excellent 3-point shooter, connecting on 45 percent of his attempts last season (41-of-91) to lead the Bears. Outstanding FT shooter as well (89 percent). “Kobe is a knock down shooter,” Orell said. “He was fantastic on threes. We're anticipating that and more from him. He spent a lot of time this off-season working on getting to the rim and finishing.”</p>
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<p><strong>CJ Johnson (Jr., 5-11, G)</strong>: Averaged 4.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per game coming off the bench for the Bears in 2025-26. Improved his strength during the off-season. Spent a lot of time in the weight room knowing he must play physical in 2026-27 for the Bears to compete. “One of our keys for this season is we have to be physical, especially against bigger teams,” Orell said. </p>
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<p><strong>NAMES TO KNOW</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Colin Orell (Jr., 6-1, G)</strong>: Appeared in 25 varsity games last season. Known as a very unselfish player. His main job will be to distribute the basketball to La Cueva's primary scorers.</p>
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<p><strong>Matty Martin (Jr., 6-1, G)</strong>: Excellent athlete. Major contributor on the football team. Appeared in 29 varsity games last season. Averaged 1.7 points.</p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2215039' first='Jordan' last='Mares'] (Sr., 5-8, G)</strong>: Described as a ‘glue guy.' Willing to do a lot of the dirty work like take charges and defend. Improved his shooting this summer. Energy guy.</p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3582300' first='Nikheel' last='Patel'] (Jr., 5-10, G)</strong>: Good shooter. Will be counted on to come off the bench and produce points. Focused this summer on improving his defensive skills. Expected to be part of the guard rotation. </p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3579426' first='Cody' last='Vranes'] (Sr., 6-2, F)</strong>: Appeared in 15 varsity games last season. Coaches are still trying to define his role.</p>
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<p><strong>Rion Hanson (Jr., 6-1, G)</strong>: Also plays football. Looking to carve out a role on the hoops team. Southpaw. Good shooter. Described as a ‘tweener.' Good defender. <strong> </strong></p>
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<p><strong>KEY NEWCOMERS</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Devyn Williams (Jr., 6-0, G</strong>): Talented WR on the Bears football team. Played mainly JV hoops in 2025-26. Orell hopes to utilize his elite athleticism when he steps onto the hardwood. “Hopefully, we can keep Devyn healthy on the football field,” Orell said. “He's going to be key for us. We're going to be reliant on him at times. Great athlete and a great kid.” </p>
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<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2855360' first='Ryan' last='Rivera'] (Jr.)</strong>: Played mainly JV in 2025-26. Could carve out a spot on the varsity roster in 2026-27. Hours in the weight room this summer. Improved his strength. </p>
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<p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS</strong></p>
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<p>La Cueva opens the 2026-27 season Nov. 24 with a home game against Albuquerque High followed by a Dec. 1 road game at Rio Rancho.</p>
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<p>The Bears will compete in a highly competitive District 5A-2 with Capital, Cibola, Eldorado, Sandia and Santa Fe. It is the only six-team district in Class 5A.</p>
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2026-27 LA CUEVA BEARS PREVIEW
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