New Mexico All-State Girls Basketball Team presented by Suddenlink

Wisdom Anthony not only has a great name, she has a great future — after all, how many freshmen can say they're named the 2019-20 Suddenlink New Mexico Player of the Year?

Anthony was on the varsity as a seventh-grader and has been a major contributor at Hobbs since she arrived. This year, though, she took on a bigger role.


On top of that, Anthony is a superb on-the-ball defender with length and exceptionally quick hands, and an integral part of the Hobbs press, which played a big role in the team's 5A state championship.

Anthony's numbers are impressive — 16 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists a game, 35 percent from beyond the arc — but they don't tell the full story of how good she is and how good she might become. As a freshman, she had to learn not to defer to the older players, and by season's end, she was taking charge.

"She's come out of her shell," said Peterson, which is great news for Hobbs for the next three years, but maybe not so much for the rest of the teams in New Mexico.

NEW MEXICO ALL-STATE TEAM PRESENTED BY SUDDENLINK

First Team
Wisdom Anthony, Hobbs
Natalia Chavez, Volcano Vista (Albuquerque)
5-10 | Sophomore | Forward | Uncommitted
Chavez scored 18 points a game for Volcano Vista, but what made those 18 points special was her efficiency — she shot 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point distance to lead Volcano Vista to a 26-3 record.

Kaya Ingram, La Cueva (Albuquerque)
5-8 | Senior | Guard | Cornell
La Cueva finished the season 25-4, and that success was due in great part to Ingram's all-around game. She scored 18.7 points per game and added 5.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists — and don't forget the 3.2 steals.

Natalie Jojola, Los Lunas
5-5 | Junior | Guard | Uncommitted
Los Lunas won the 4A title — there are five divisions in New Mexico — and went 27-4 along the way, and Jojola's long-range accuracy was a key part of the team's offense. She also came up big in the state final, leading all scorers with 14 points.

Fallon Velasquez, Mescalero Apache (Mescalero)
5-6 | Senior | Wing | Uncommitted
Velasquez did it all for the 28-3 2A champions, scoring, rebounding, handling the ball and making big plays. She capped her senior season with a 32-point, 10-rebound performance in the 2A title game.

Second Team

Jaelyn Bates, Volcano Vista
5-5 | Sophomore | Guard | Uncommitted
Bates and first-team selection Chavez were the one-two punch for Volcano Vista, and only missed time due to a concussion could slow her down. She averaged 16 points a game on 46 percent shooting, and also was automatic from the line at 79 percent.

Cailee Crawford, Highland (Albuquerque)
6-1 | Junior | Wing | Uncommitted
Crawford may not fit the profile of a point guard in a state with lots of smaller backcourt players, but her 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio and 3.9 assists a game are exceptional regardless of size. She also averaged 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds a game.

Viane Cumber, Sandia (Albuquerque)
5-10 | Junior | Post | Uncommitted
Cumber averaged a double-double — 22.4 points and 10.6 rebounds a game — for 21-5 Sandia, but those were far from her only contributions. She also chipped in 2.5 assists and 3.3 steals a game.

Carly Gonzales, Penasco
5-10 | Senior | Forward | Uncommitted
Gonzales did everything for the 2A runners-up, averaging a double-double — 22.1 points and 11.8 points, including 18 points and 14 rebounds in the championship game. But her contributions weren't all on the offensive end, as she blocked 2.7 shots a game and added 2.8 steals.

Mia Guest, Los Lunas
5-4 | Junior | Guard | Uncommitted
Guest made herself welcome in the 4A final, scoring 11 points to help Los Lunas win the title — and she was a key player all season long for the 27-4 Tigers with her quickness and speed.

Third Team

Krystal Benally, Tohatchi
5-4 | Senior | Guard | Uncommitted
Benally's coach described her as "relentless," and her insistent energy helped Tohatchi to a 23-8 record and a berth in the 3A final game. The numbers tell a similar story about her effectiveness: 15.7 points, six rebounds and six steals per game.

Lanae Billy, Piedra Vista (Farmington)
5-8 | Sophomore | Guard | Uncommitted
With Billy on board for two more years, Piedra Vista should continue to be a force in New Mexico, as the sophomore averaged 16.4 points and 5.7 rebounds a game. She also made 39 percent of her 3-pointers, and added 3.0 steals.

Jessica Rios, Centennial (Las Cruces)
5-7 | Senior | Guard | Uncommitted
If you like shooters, you have to love Rios, who made 87 percent of her free throws and hit 35 percent from beyond the arc for 27-5 Centennial. That efficiency helped her score 15.1 points a game, and she also contributed 4.7 rebounds to the Centennial cause.

Elise Turrubiates, Hobbs
5-11 | Junior | Post | Uncommitted
Turrubiates was the inside presence for the 5A state champs, averaging 8.7 rebounds a game to go along with 13.0 points. She was also adept at passing out of the paint, with 3.2 assists a game, and on the other end of the floor, blocked 36 shots and accumulated 79 steals.

Elaina Watson, Piedra Vista (Farmington)
5-7 | Senior | Guard | Uncommitted
Contributed at both ends for Piedra Vista, which fell four points short of a spot in the 5A final. Watson averaged 10.2 and 5.3 rebounds a game, while handing 4.3 assists and picking 3.5 steals every time out.