Players On The Verge Of A Breakout Year, Part One!
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With another season upon us, now is a good time check in which players are on the verge of breaking out this season. From younger underclassmen who made a name for themselves last year, some of them are ready to…
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Continue ReadingWith another season upon us, now is a good time check in which players are on the verge of breaking out this season. From younger underclassmen who made a name for themselves last year, some of them are ready to take the next step this year. Even some juniors or seniors that are ready to make the leap in their games from last year. This is part one of two of players on the verge of breaking out this season at the high school level.
Eva Love Eva Love 5'9" | SG La Cueva | 2024 State NM has gotten off too a quick start in her high school career for the La Cueva Bears. In her first two seasons, she helped the Bears reach the 5A Girls State Playoffs in each of the past two seasons. Her production and value to the Bears program has increased every season. From her freshman year too her sophomore year, her numbers went up across the board including points, rebounds assists and steals. Eva can score all over the floor and is a great rebounding guard for her position. She is a great pull up shooter in transition and can create her own shot with ease. After reaching the 5A State Semifinals last season, Eva will be leading a contender who has lost four seniors from graduation (Ottmann, Jones, Romero and Savic), who were all key players in the Bears rotation the last few years. Eva Love Eva Love 5'9" | SG La Cueva | 2024 State NM came off last season leading the team in scoring, averaging over 13 points per game as a sophomore. I expect her production to increase during her junior season like the last two. Eva Love Eva Love 5'9" | SG La Cueva | 2024 State NM has also received plenty of offers throughout the off-season and with her being on the verge of an explosive year, expect more offers to come her way.
Kamalani Anitielu Kamalani Anitielu 5'6" | PG Farmington | 2023 State NM is coming off a solid junior year for the Farmington Scorpions. She was the teams second leading scoring hitting just under 13 points per game behind her sister “Kiiyani” who averaged just under 20 points per game as a senior last year. Farmington also lost their third leading scorer “Audrey” to graduation as well, so Farmington will head into this upcoming year just returning one of their top three scorers. Lucky for them, they have Kamalani returning to the roster this year and she is due to have a big year for the scorpions. She is one of the states best marksman from long-range making 50 three-pointers last year which was in the top 20 in New Mexico. She can space the floor with her shooting, and has improved at creating her own shot off the dribble.
Highlights
Aspen Salazar Aspen Salazar 5'9" | SF Centennial | 2023 State NM played well for the Centennial Hawks last season. She was the teams leading scorer averaging over 14 points per game last year while helping her squad reach the 5A State quarterfinals in the state playoffs last year before losing to the eventual champion; Volcano Vista. Aspen is more than just a scorer and shot creator, she is a consistent and reliable rebounder for the Hawks. She is a heady defensive player at the wing position and makes winning plays on that side of the floor and racks up her share of steals. She has received plenty of attention from various college programs and will get more from another big year this upcoming season.
Emma Christiano Emma Christiano 5'4" | PG Las Cruces | 2023 State NM from Las Cruces showed last year that she is one of the states top point guards in the state. She made a huge impact in the Bulldawg’s reaching the 5A State Quarterfinals last season and being 5A-District 3 Champions. Last season she had impressive averages of 14-5-5 which she led the team in points and assists last season. Emma is a solid defender who plays both sides of the ball and can make an impact on each end of the floor. Emma plays like a elite traditional point guard who has some unfinished business heading into her senior season in a few months.