Statistics speaking for District 5AAA teams
By Isaac Avilucea | The New MexicanPosted: 2/7/2012, 10:00 PM Mountain time
We hold these truths to be self-evident: This year's Class AAA boys basketball titleholder will come from none other than District 5AAA.
One look at the AAA landscape will make it clear.
If the state tournament started today, and the New Mexico Activities Association had a .500-record requirement for it, only nine teams would be in the bracket.
That's an improvement from three weeks ago, when just six teams had stockpiled more wins than losses.
It still trails last year's group of 10 teams with winning records.
Eleven, if you're mixing Lovington's 13-13 record into the fold.
The trend has remained pretty consistent this year.
Several teams were in action Tuesday, but even if you choose to factor in the outcomes of the night's spate of games, only six teams would definitively end the night with winning records, speaking to the diluted nature of AAA boys basketball.
Breaking it down further: Of those nine teams with winning records, guess how many are from 5AAA?
Three.
Compare that to 4AAA, where all three teams have losing records and combine for 37 losses.
That's only 15 fewer than five-team 5AAA, and the total takes into account Santa Fe Indian School's
23 losses and counting, which severely skew the numbers. Between the top four 5AAA competitors, they combine for 29 losses.
So then, why is 4AAA even allowed a team in the tournament? Because NMAA rules say so.
If you're still not convinced about the inequity, consider this: The teams ranked 7-10 in the New Mexico High School Coaches Association poll all have losing records, with the exception of Socorro High School, which is middling in mediocrity at 12-11.
With all this in mind, who shall challenge top-ranked Albuquerque Hope Christian, No. 2 St. Michael's and No. 3 Albuquerque Sandia Prep?
No one.
Forget for a second that the dynastic Huskies, with only one loss, likely are going to claim their fourth consecutive AAA crown.
Forget for a second that the only ones standing in their way are the Horsemen and Sundevils, who showed enough gumption in their first encounter with Hope to warrant championship consideration.
The Horsemen dropped a 65-56 overtime decision, and the Sundevils fell 72-65.
Two days later, St. Michael's fell to the Sundevils, showing how there is a distinct possibility one of them will be gone before ever facing Hope in the tournament, making the Huskies' four-peat that much less of a gauntlet.
While we're at it, forget about this year in prep basketball.
Even with the abundance of watered-down products, I promise you'll be parched of excitement come tournament time.
Contact Isaac Avilucea at 986-3032 or iavilucea@sfnewmexican.com.
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