Yodice: Who are the Class 5A contenders in boys and girls basketball?

In less than five weeks, the last regular-season prep basketball games will be played in New Mexico, and the full-fledged maneuvering portion of the 2025-26 campaign has officially begun.

Between now and Feb. 21, the state’s districts will play out, which means everyone is on the back stretch.

Let’s do some late-race evaluating, first in the Class 5A division.

The vibe coming out of early November was that 5A boys basketball was going to be a veritable free-for-all come March, and not a damn thing that’s happened so far would suggest otherwise.

I tend to not attach too much significance to district action in Class 5A boys, if only because evidence suggests that it doesn’t mean much as we tie in to March. We’ve seen double-digit seeds win state championships more than once in the last decade, which suggests that pristine form, more than the number on the seed line, drives the playoffs.

What have we seen so far?

Well, as league play begins for most everyone this week, Cleveland has the definitive momentum mojo. The 5A line, at the moment, forms behind the Storm.

Just this calendar year, Cleveland has beaten Las Cruces, Volcano Vista and La Cueva, and added a nice come-from-behind road win the other day versus Hobbs at Ralph Tasker Arena.

There are two individual alphas in this class that stand above the rest. One is David Lunn of Volcano Vista. The other is Cleveland guard Remy Albrecht, who is perfectly capable of putting the Storm on his back against anyone. But what impresses me about the Storm is that they have cultivated other proven scoring outlets who’ll get it done in key moments besides Albrecht. Gotta like the chemistry of this group.

The best three teams in 5A all belong, not surprisingly, to District 1-5A, which has produced nine of the last 10 state champions. The next few weeks, with Cleveland, Volcano Vista and Rio Rancho slugging it out, should provide a wonderful supply of scintillating action.

The Rams have flourished under new coach Steve Heredia; they are balanced, and they have just a single loss, a last-second setback to Volcano Vista. The Hawks, I must confess, are a more potent threat than I imagined they’d be, but led by Lunn and coach Greg Brown, you better believe they’ve got a legit shot at a fifth straight title.

But what are we left with after this trio?

From outside the metro area, who could surge once we get to the Pit? Las Cruces is the most obvious choice, with its length and defensive prowess. This team had one bad half at Cleveland; otherwise, the Bulldawgs might be undefeated.

There’s also much to admire in La Cueva, a team that can win multiple games in the postseason.

The wild card in 5A is Sandia, which has yet to play a game with all its pieces healthy. It’s still going to be a few weeks before guard Gad Harris (leg injury during football) joins the fray; once he, Isaiah Brown and transfer guard George Smith are all running the floor together, watch out.

What of the 5A girls?

Since the new year began, one team has pushed out in front of the rest, and that’s Hobbs.

The Eagles won metros with victories over La Cueva, Kirtland Central and Albuquerque High, and then Hobbs steamrolled No. 1 Farmington by 27 points last Friday in Moriarty.

This is 5A’s best team as we reach the district portion of the prep basketball menu. Kacelynn Muniez has established herself as possibly 5A’s most elite 3-point shooter, and this team’s quickness and commitment to defense are problematic for those who oppose them. Side note: this team also has my favorite 5A player, 5-foot-4 veteran guard Aliana Armitige, who’s a blast to watch.

The metro area has two certifiable championship threats in AHS and Rio Rancho. The third-ranked Rams, in fact, open 1-5A action at home on Tuesday night against Farmington.

Rio Rancho’s experienced guards are a tremendous asset, led by super sophomore Madi Martinez. AHS beat the Rams at metros when Martinez got into serious foul trouble, and the Bulldogs have a potent 1-2 combo in guard Abby Pavia and forward/post Savannah Combs. My observation about AHS is this: The Bulldogs need a regular third scoring option. It’s not a sustainable championship model for Pavia and Combs to do most of the heavy lifting without assistance. A deep run by AHS would make for a stirring narrative come mid-March.

Farmington … hmmmm. I’ve only seen them once, and caught the Scorps on a night when they had multiple flat tires, and got run out of the Moriarty gym by Hobbs last Friday. This team has one of 5A’s most complete players in guard Kjani Anitielu. It will be interesting to see how Farmington — who surely won't be No. 1 anymore when the new coaches poll is unveiled — bounces back on Tuesday night.

Those four teams comprise the top tier. The second tier features teams such as Los Lunas (man, can that team defend and their head-to-head district games against AHS ought to be fun, and they are closer to being undefeated than you might imagine), Sandia (which I haven’t seen yet but remains a factor with the only losses coming to AHS, Rio Rancho and Hobbs), La Cueva (guard Jordyn Dyer is, to me, 5A’s most complete player) and Las Cruces hoping to elbow their way into the top group.

A quick thought or two on 4A:

This division for the girls remains the property of Gallup and Kirtland Central, who meet for the first time this season on Thursday in Gallup. Any team hoping to win state almost certainly is going to have to beat both of them at the Pit. Are there any teams from the metro area that could do that? Maybe Albuquerque Academy. Possibly undefeated Bernalillo, which has been one of the season’s best stories. Hope Christian and Valencia have plenty of quality losses between them. But the Broncos and Bengals are riding shotgun in the front seat in a strong position.

The 4A boys has Artesia ranked No. 1, and the defending state champions are clearly the favorites. This team has size, athleticism and loads of experience.

The metro area is ripe with talented rosters, led by Highland, Hope Christian and Del Norte.

I’m a fan of the Knights — six of their seven losses are by seven points or fewer — and they’ve got wins already against Hope and Albuquerque Academy. But Highland has a marvelous collection of guards in Juan Limas, Nico Sanchez and Fedi Nuñez — arguably the best trio of guards in 4A — and a big man in 6-9 Jerry Moody who is a factor.

So much lays ahead.

Thirty-three days to go.

James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at @JamesDYodice.