Midseason Takeaways: Emerging Underclassmen
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We are half way through the season, and there have been some major takeaways already. Player of the year candidates, breakout players, and impactful underclassmen have emerged. Some teams are solidifying their spots in the playoffs, and others are fighting…
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Continue ReadingWe are half way through the season, and there have been some major takeaways already. Player of the year candidates, breakout players, and impactful underclassmen have emerged. Some teams are solidifying their spots in the playoffs, and others are fighting for a spot with every game meaning more this season than ever before. Here are the underclassmen that have emerged on the scene and will be names to know for the next few years.
SF Elijah Brody Elijah Brody 6'2" | SF West Mesa | 2024 State NM , 2024, Cleveland: Another two sport athlete, and a surprise starter to enter the season, Brody, is proving that he deserves a consistent role in the Storm line up even when the rest of the football players return. He stands at 6’2, and already weighs about 175 lbs. He is a skilled lefty that needs to work on his shooting consistency. More of a slashing wing, but can read defenses well, which stems from his QB skills.
PG Cody Vassar-Steen Cody Vassar-Steen 6'2" | PG Farmington | 2024 State NM , 2024, Farmington: The freshman moved back to New Mexico this past year from Chicago, and is a very intriguing prospect to watch. He is already leading Farmington as the starting point guard with an impressive handle, and showing that he knows how to run a teams offense. The 6’0 guard is currently averaging around 12 points per game in a very tough district.
PG Daniel Steverson Daniel Steverson 6'2" | SG Cleveland | 2025 #315 Nation NM , 2024, Cleveland: Steverson is another freshman that has logged more minutes than expected to start the season for the Storm. He has stretched out over the last few months and now stands at 6’2. Daniel is doing all the little things for Cleveland when he gets in to the game from grabbing offensive rebounds, knocking down open jump shots to playing smart defense and drawing charges. He will need to become a more confident ball handler over the next year, but it looks like the Storm have another dynamic backcourt duo in the making.
SG Jalin Holland, 2025, Los Lunas: Only an 8th grader, the 6’2 shooter is making a huge impact for Los Lunas in their first season joining 5A. Holland is good shooter, and high IQ player that can light any team up if he gets hot. He scored 17 points against Capital in a big district win for the Tigers. Expect to hear more about this kid for the next 4 years.
SF Cedarius Yates Cedarius Yates 6'3" | SF La Cueva | 2023 State NM , 2023, La Cueva: “Ced” has always been a high ceiling player well known throughout New Mexico. He has finally reached the height of 6’3, and a lot of confidence has come with that. He is becoming a more consistent player with a laser focus that we haven’t seen from him in the past. After starting JV as a freshman he is now thrusted in to the the starting role of the varsity team, and has stepped up to the challenge under new head coach Brian Joyce.
SF Elijah Foster Elijah Foster 6'4" | CG Cibola | 2024 State NM , 2024, Volcano Vista: There always seems to be a freshman thats is being groomed for the ultimate success in Greg Brown’s system at Volcano, and this season it’s Foster. The super athletic, but raw freshman that needs to improve his IQ started his first two games playing JV, but with a slow start to the Hawks season Brown was forced to experiment with his roster to find more success. So far Elijah has stepped up, and looks to be carving his role in to the lineup.