Las Cruces High guard/forward Lucio Luttrell won the Gatorade Player of the Year yet wasn't on the all-state first team.
The top squad consisted of guards Michael Maya (Valley), Ronnie Daniels (La Cueva) and Mark Tenorio (Manzano) along with forwards Jaye Crockett (Clovis) and Alfonso Hubbard (Gallup).
Team two was Luttrell, Highland guard Marcus Franco, Alamogordo guard Travis Geiger, Rio Grande guard Gabe Sanchez and Highland forward Chad Adams.
There were some eyebrows raised when Luttrell pocketed the award. The theory was that there were other standout players who put up monster numbers who may have been more deserving. I'm not saying I felt this way - I support the local guy getting the honor - but there were rumblings going the other way on the issue.
A number of factors are considered when making the Player of the Year decision. Basketball is not the only element, although it is the major one. I do think when the winner of the award doesn't make the all-state first team, the critics will come out all the more.
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5 comments:
I see where you're going here Teddy, but UNM signee Chad Adams was also a second team choice...
The only first teamer with a scholarship that I'm aware of is Jaye Crockett(Texas Tech).
Unfortunately for these kids, the people choosing all state are all too often biased by the politics involved.
The coaches are influenced by the other coaches in their district, etc., or "owe" some other coach a vote one way or another.
Lucio wasn't even the 3-5A district player of the year... although I thought he should have been.
Nothing against Geiger, but Lucio was the main guy on the district champ team, Alamo didn't do much(3rd in district).
Another case of bias in the all-state voting was excluding Zach Daugherty from all-state in football. By late February he already had 2 D-1 offers, was Scout.com all-state, Rivals.com all Southwest, and is currently the highest rated football prospect in the state...
All state is strictly about how well your coach plays politics in the selection meetings.
Congratulations to Lucio for being recognized as not only a great basketball player, but a great student and person as well.
Maybe someday the truth will come out about the Alamo player who got the player of the year award for district 3-5A. That decision was wrong and we all know it, and you can probably thank the Alamo coach for that. Again, you all know who should of got the 3-5A player of the year award
Great post 1:07
lucio is a good player he is talented and also a team leader. But look at the college that he is going to... you might as well call him a Mighty Duck cause he is a D2.
Lucio is an awesome basketball player, person,and student. I think he desirves a congratulation's from a lot of people,because it's not easy to do a lot of things to become Gatorade's player of the year!!! Way to go Lucio!! :DD
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