Roundball Roundup: After districts, where will local teams land in the brackets?

As of Feb. 27

Is it too early to be talking about brackets? No such thing.

After a week of district tournaments and season-deciding matchups, here is everything that went down on the hardwood and what is to come with the state tournament on the horizon.

5A boys potential bracket

Cleveland: One/Two Seed

Rio Rancho: Three Seed

1-5A’s three-legged race is coming to a close, with a pivotal piece of the puzzle being decided on Thursday night via a third installment in a heated rivalry.

Cleveland took down Rio Rancho for the second time in a week to head to the district championship game against Volcano Vista.

It was deja vu for the cross-town clash, with the Storm staging a second-half comeback to stun a Rams team that led most of the way. Rio’s 40-37 lead at the end of the third quarter faded fast via a Remy Albrecht-led fourth quarter in which Cleveland outscored Rio 28-17.

Rio Rancho’s district championship game hopes may be over, but they will still hold a very comfortable seed in the state tournament in March.

It has been a common idea across the state that Volcano, Cleveland and Rio will take the top three spots in the state bracket. It is just a matter of what order.

The Rams’ quarterfinal victory over Farmington put to rest the idea of Rio falling any lower, likely positioning it to host a first-round matchup.

For Cleveland, the district championship will decide their fate, but either way, they are sitting at the top of the mountain. 1-5A’s title game winner will take the top seed, while the runner-up falls in second place.

5A girls potential bracket

Rio Rancho: Three Seed

Cleveland: 13 Seed

The local 5A girls' programs find themselves in opposite scenarios: Rio Rancho is toward the top, with a chance to move even further, while Cleveland is holding on to one of the final spots.

After a semifinal victory over Volcano Vista, the Rams will head to the 1-5A championship game against Farmington.

Rio finds themselves likely to get the three-seed at the moment, similar to the boys team, but a win over the Scorpions could slide them into the two-spot. They are shaping up to host a first-round game either way.

For Cleveland, the Storm are in a familiar spot. It was just a year ago when the electric blue finished with a 13-15 record, only one game difference from this season, and fell into the 13-spot.

Other factors could affect Cleveland, but they will most likely not be any higher than 12. Either way, they will have to hit the road for their first-round matchup if they do make the bracket.

4A boys potential bracket

Bernalillo: No bid

A loss in districts to Valley High put an end to the Spartans' season, finishing their year in 6-4A with a record of 3-24.

It was tough sledding in a competitive district this year, with three of the five teams from 6-4A set to likely make the 4A bracket (Del Norte, Hope Christian and Albuquerque High).

Bernalillo will now look toward the 2026-27 season to try and make it back to the postseason for the first time since 2021.

4A girls potential bracket

Bernalillo: Six-seven seed

The Lady Spartans find themselves in an interesting spot. A 23-5 record to end the season points them in the direction of a possible three-seed, similar to their emphatic run in 2022.

But unlike that magical season four years ago, when the Spartans won their district with a 7-1 record, Bernalillo has struggled in district play. Four of their five losses have come in 6-4A, including an elimination in the district tournament at the hands of Hope Christian.

That being said, there is no world where this team should not be hosting a first-round playoff game. An 18-game win streak with resume-boosting victories against Santa Fe Indian and a handful of 5A teams should be enough evidence to support the playoffs coming back to Spartan Alley.

The state tournament brackets will be revealed on March 2. Stay tuned to the Observer for all updates.