2023-24 5A District 1 Analysis: Projected Starting Backcourts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Volcano Vista Hawks</strong> - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1176305' first='Hudson' last='Brown'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1488493' first='Rian' last='Gonzales']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hawks won the 5A title last season due to their consistency on both sides of the ball, and their backcourt was a large part of their success. Brown is coming off a season where he earned 5A Defensive Player of the Year honors and was the steady hand behind the Hawks's constant attack. Gonzales was a spark plug off the bench last year, able to provide instant offense and knockdown shooting from anywhere around the perimeter. They'll be arguably the best shooting backcourt in the state and will look to continue their dominance. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cleveland Storm </strong>- <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1158654' first='Daniel' last='Steverson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1326930' first='Remy' last='Albrecht']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Storm have an argument for the best backcourt in the state. Both are ranked Top 2 in their classes and they proved themselves worthy of their ranks this past season. Steverson has continued to be as valuable as ever for this Cleveland squad as the centerpiece of their team, a do-it-all point guard who can attack from anywhere on the court. Albrecht is a sharpshooter from distance but has been expanding his game to fill a combo guard role. The Storm will look to rally behind these two as they go into next year with high expectations. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Atrisco Heritage Jaguars - [player_tooltip player_id='1176301' first='Latavious' last='Morris'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1679990' first='Brandon' last='Lopez']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Jaguars have been able to find success at the guard position for a while, and it won't stop this year. Morris is one of the premiere point guards in the state who in past seasons has played both guard roles. This year, he will settle into a pure point guard role and will continue to be a beast for Atrisco. Lopez earned himself a starting role last year with his great catch-and-shoot ability and will prove invaluable to the offensive scheme of this team as they move forward into next season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rio Rancho Rams - [player_tooltip player_id='1295235' first='Jayden' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1679999' first='Josiah' last='Marfil']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rio Rancho was sneakily one of the toughest teams this past year, and though they lose multiple key seniors, they bring back valuable backcourt members to lead the team. Johnson is a hyper-athletic combo guard who is a master at scoring around the rim and attacking the basket with ferocity. Marfil was the sharpshooter for this team, very good at staying calm under pressure, and knocking down clutch shots. Together, they'll have to be the focal point of the Rams' offense and look to take the Rams back to the playoffs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cibola Cougars - [player_tooltip player_id='1903316' first='Cole' last='Baca'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2026077' first='Elijah' last='Martinez']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cougars had struggles last season, finishing last in their district, though they showed flashes of massive potential moving forward, especially among their guards. Baca is one of the best defensive players at any position but was also able to take on a larger role on the offensive side of the ball as the season went on, flourishing as a primary option. Martinez is one of the best-rising stars in the state, as he earned All-District first-team honors as an 8th-grader this past year. Cibola will look to bounce back next season with most of the same team from last year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->