Danny's Picks: Basketball

RIO RANCHO — Winter is coming, which means basketball season is under way. By the first week of December, all basketball squads will be in full swing. Here are two players from each high school (Cleveland, Rio Rancho, and Bernalillo) to keep an eye on.

Cleveland High School

Boys

Point guard Remy Albrecht (junior): Let's not beat around the bush. Albrecht is one of the top players in the state and is, without a doubt, the top junior in the state. Albrecht has been a member of the varsity squad since he was an eighth grader and projects as a blue chip, “25 points per game type of player.” Excited to see the role Albrecht takes, especially with the departure of bonafide stud Daniel Steverson.

Point guard Ajay Vigil (sophomore): If you are a Cleveland Storm fan and not familiar with Vigil’s name, time to familiarize yourself. Vigil, who also is a talented wide receiver for the Storm football team, is a lethal shooter, creative passer and high IQ player. If I have to give advice to any teams out there, don’t give Vigil space to shoot; he will make you pay. I also don’t want to brag, but yours truly wrote a story on him for the Rio Rancho Observer when he was in middle school.

Girls

Point guard/ shooting guard Malia Mose (junior): Mose has been a staple in the CHS basketball program for a while now, and new head coach Stacy Pokorski will appreciate Mose’s elite game. Mose is a leader, communicator, ball distributor and contributes well as a defender.

Center Kate Lewis (senior): Athletic, tough and a great rebounder. Lewis will play a pivotal role on the Storm squad and should excel on both sides of the ball. She has great court vision and is great at setting screens.

Rio Rancho High School

Boys

Forward Kayden Decker (junior): Decker is a tall, rangy forward who has a knack for making blocks and is an underrated mid-range shooter. Expect Decker to dominate in the paint, light up the scoreboard and have a huge impact on the Rams' squad.

Guard Wyatt Rodriguez (junior): A “do-it-all” guard who is known for his effort, demeanor, attitude and hard work, Rodriguez is a high IQ type of player and is well-disciplined in many aspects of the game. Rodriguez looks to have all the tools to make a big leap this year, especially as a hard-nose defender.

Girls

Center/power forward Jemmah Estrada (sophomore): Estrada has been a varsity player since her eighth grade year and is one of the most talented players on the Rams' squad. She is a great defender with great timing and height to make plenty of blocks, which she did plenty of during the 2023-24 season. Estrada is also a creative scorer who has shown to be a great shooter at the center position. Expect a ton of double-doubles this season from Estrada.

Guards Larissa and Madilynn Martinez (freshmen): One of the many sets of twins in the RRHS girls basketball program...pretty crazy right? The Martinez sisters are already significant contributors to the varsity squad. Both have already shown that they can shoot beyond the arc and rack up steals like an arcade game. Keep your eye on these two to only improve from their eighth-grade seasons.

Bernalillo High School

Boys

Point guard Darrion Calabaza (senior): Calabaza is a baller, plain and simple. A source told me that he would be the one to “light up a scoreboard on any given night.” I was able to find some clips, and yeah, he looks as advertised: a great shooter with exceptional ball-handling skills. I’m looking forward to seeing him live in person.

Point guard Michael Pacheco (senior): Pacheco loves the game of basketball and is willing to do anything to help the Spartans win. He is a smart player with great coordination who delivers crisp passes. Pacheco also makes a living as a great defender with sound technique.

Girls

Center Trinity Calabaza (sophomore): As a freshman, Calabaza led the team in rebounds and blocks and established herself as one of the top-scoring players on the team. Now, the towering center looks to have taken the reins as the premier player on the Spartans squad. Look for her to fill the stat sheets in scoring, rebounds, steals and blocks.

Center Samaria Brown (sophomore): Last year, Brown was a floater between JV and varsity. In the limited time that she did play on varsity, she showed tremendous flashes of power, scoring finesse and as a consistent double-digit rebounder. Brown has a very intriguing ceiling, and I am excited to see what she has worked on this off season.