Bulldawgs have tools of a No. 1-ranked team with state tournament officially here

Will it be an easy road to a state championship for the Las Cruces Bulldawgs boys basketball team?

No.

But they do have the tools to be a legitimate No. 1 seed in the state playoffs.

LCHS boasts versatility and can beat the opposition a number of different ways — whether it be in a halfcourt or fullcourt game; using inside power or outside shooting; in a man-to-man defense or out of a zone; by utilzing their starters, or with their depth.

They have a certifiable Big 3 in point guard Joe Garza, power forward Mando Marshall and small forward Kai Williams.

Center Trevor Noel could start for any District 3-5A team, and post player Kamryn Dixon — a valuable piece coming off Las Cruces High’s bench — could as well.

There could be five to six teams that could challenge for the state championship in 2012.

No. 1 LCHS, No. 2 Albuquerque High, No. 3 La Cueva, No. 4 Cibola and No. 5 Eldorado all look to be in the mix.

Assuming LCHS gets past No. 16 Rio Rancho this Saturday, than they most likely will have to face No. 8 Clovis in the quarterfinals at The Pit — not an easy matchup there — and then could likely see Eldorado in the semifinals. If they continue to advance, then it will likely be a showdown with either La Cueva or Albuquerque High. This is not a sure-fire state championship here, folks.

Still, the Bulldawgs have the talent to be a legit No. 1 seed in the tourney.

•••

Here are the matchups entering this weekend’s opening round, for girls and boys basketball:

2012 State Basketball Championship Matchups
Boys
Class A
Round 1
Saturday
No. 16 Melrose at No. 1 Cliff, 3 p.m.
No. 15 Mescalero Apache at No. 2 Fort Sumner, 5 p.m.
No. 14 Des Moines at No. 3 Logan, 6 p.m.
No. 13 Escalante at No. 3 Springer, 6 p.m.
No. 12 McCurdy at No. 5 Dora, 6 p.m.
No. 11 Menaul at No. 6 Capitan, 4 p.m.
No. 10 Ramah at No. 7 To’hajiilee, 5 p.m.
No. 9 Hagerman at No. 8 Gallup Catholic
Class 2A
Round 1
Saturday
No. 16 Navajo Pine at No. 1 Laguna Acoma, 4 p.m.
No. 15 Tohatchi at No. 2 Mesilla Valley Christian, 5 p.m.
No. 14 Dulce at No. 3 Mora, 6 p.m.
No. 13 Rehoboth Christian at No. 4 Tularosa, 5 p.m.
No. 12 Mesa Vista at No. 5 Pecos, 6 p.m.
No. 11 Magdalena at No. 6 Santa Fe Prep, 3 p.m.
No. 10 Dexter at No. 7 Clayton, 5 p.m.
No. 9 Texico at No. 8 Bosque Prep, 5 p.m.
Class 3A
Round 1
Saturday
No. 16 Raton at No. 1 Hope Christian, 5 p.m.
No. 15 Thoreau at No. 2 St. Michael’s, 6 p.m.
No. 14 Portales at No. 3 Shiprock, 7 p.m.
No. 13 Ruidoso at No. 4 Sandia Prep, 5 p.m.
No. 12 Hot Springs at No. 5 Taos, 6 p.m.
No. 11 Socorro at No. 6 Robertson, 6 p.m.
No. 10 Wingate at No. 7 Silver, 3 p.m.
No. 9 Lovington at No. 8 Pojoaque, 6 p.m.
Class 4A
Round 1
Saturday
No. 16 Los Alamos at No. 1 Goddard, 4 p.m.
No. 15 Piedra Vista at No. 2 Roswell, 3 p.m.
No. 14 Deming at No. 3 Capital, 5 p.m.
No. 13 Valencia at No. 4 St. Pius X, 7 p.m.
No. 12 Farmington at No. 5 Gallup, 7 p.m.
No. 11 Atrisco Heritage at No. 6 Grants, 6 p.m.
No. 10 Los Lunas at No. 7 Santa Teresa, 7 p.m.
No. 9 Kirtland Central at No. 8 Bernalillo, 7 p.m.
Class 5A
Round 1
Saturday
No. 16 Rio Rancho at No. 1 Las Cruces, 7 p.m.
No. 15 Oñate at No. 2 Albuquerque High, 7 p.m.
No. 14 Highland at No. 3 La Cueva, 7 p.m.
No. 13 Manzano at No. 4 Cibola, 7 p.m.
No. 12 Mayfield at No. 5 Eldorado, 5:30 p.m.
No. 11 Sandia at No. 6 Hobbs, 7 p.m.
No. 10 Valley at No. 7 Volcano Vista, 7 p.m.
No. 9 West Mesa at No. 8 Clovis, 7 p.m.

Girls
Class A
Round 1
Friday
No. 16 Floyd at No. 1 Melrose, 7 p.m.
No. 15 McCurdy at No. 2 Tatum, 6 p.m.
No. 14 Alamo Navajo at No. 3 Cliff, 5:30 p.m.
No. 13 To’hajiilee at no. 4 Des Moines, 4 p.m.
No. 12 Capitan at No. 5 Dora, 6 p.m.
No. 11 Ramah at no. 6 Fort Sumner, 6 p.m.
No. 10 Coronado at No. 7 Logan, 7 p.m.
No. 9 Springer at No. 8 Mescalero Apache, 4:30 p.m.
Class 2A
Round 1
Friday
No. 16 Pecos at No. 1 Texico, 5 p.m.
No. 15 Jemez Valley at No. 2 Mora, 6 p.m.
No. 14 Tularosa at No. 3 Laguna-Acuma, 5 p.m.
No. 13 Dexter at No. 4 Navajo Prep, 7 p.m.
No. 12 Cloudcroft at No. 5 Magdalena, 6 p.m.
No. 11 Santa Rosa at No. 6 Navajo Pine, 5:30 p.m.
No. 10 Lordsburg at No. 7 Clayton, 5 p.m.
No. 9 Dulce at No. 8 Peñasco, 6:30 p.m.
Class 3A
Round 1
Friday
No. 16 Raton at No. 1 Hope Christian, 7 p.m.
No. 15 West Las Vegas at No. 2 Santa Fe Indian, 7 p.m.
No. 14 Pojoaque at No. 3 Portales, 6:30 p.m.
No. 13 Thoreau at No. 4 St. Michael’s, 7 p.m.
No. 12 Lovington at No. 5 Shiprock, 7 p.m.
No. 11 Ruidoso at No. 6 Hatch Valley, 6 p.m.
No. 10 Hot Spring at No. 7 Robertson, 6 p.m.
No. 9 Taos at No. 8 Wingate, 6 p.m.
Class 4A
Round 1
Friday
No. 16 Los Alamos at No. 1 Grants, 6 p.m.
No. 15 Deming at No. 2 Roswell, 7 p.m.
No. 14 Bernalillo at No. 3 Piedra Vista, 7 p.m.
No. 13 Del Norte at No. 4 Kirtland Central, 7 p.m.
No. 12 Miyamura at No. 5 Española Valley, 7 p.m.
No. 11 Farmington at No. 6 Gallup, 7 p.m.
No. 10 St. Pius X at No. 7 Valencia, 7 p.m.
No. 9 Santa Fe at No. 8 Artesia, 6 p.m.
Class 5A
Round 1
Friday
No. 16 Highland at No. 1 Eldorado, 5:30 p.m.
No. 15 Rio Grande at No. 2 Clovis, 7 p.m.
No. 14 Valley at No. 3 Volcano Vista, 5 p.m.
No. 13 Rio Rancho at No. 4 Mayfield, 5 p.m.
No. 12 Oñate at No. 5 Hobbs, 7 p.m.
No. 11 Cibola at No. 6 La Cueva, 7 p.m.
No. 10 Carlsbad at No. 7 Sandia, 6 p.m.
No. 9 Cleveland at No. 8 Las Cruces, 7 p.m.