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The Class 5A boys basketball landscape has received a seismic jolt.
David Lunn, the standout guard for five-time defending state champion Volcano Vista, announced on social media Saturday afternoon that he is leaving Albuquerque and will bypass his senior season with the Hawks for a prep school on the East Coast.
He is transferring to the CATS Academy in Boston, he said on X.
“I feel like this will allow me to prepare for college next year,” Lunn told the Journal. “This year, we felt it was time to think about it.”
CATS Academy Boston describes itself as an international prep school. Last year, it joined the Nike Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Scholastic. Its schedule places it opposite other top prep schools in the region, and also some national-level squads.
This move, Lunn said, will allow him to raise his profile.
“Schools have been reaching out and (I’ve) been looking for good opportunities for myself,” he said. “Just trying to have some tough teams to play against.”
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Lunn has been an integral component of three titles with the Hawks. He averaged 20.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his junior year at Volcano Vista.
“We’re proud of David and everything that we’ve accomplished together,” Volcano Vista coach Greg Brown said.
Lunn, 17, is the second recent basketball player from New Mexico who was regarded as the state’s best incoming talent to leave the high school ranks before their senior season. Bella Hines, who’ll be a sophomore at TCU this upcoming season after transferring from LSU, skipped her senior season at Eldorado to be at Albuquerque’s ABC Prep.
Purdue center Daniel Jacobsen played his freshman and sophomore seasons at La Cueva, then left for a prep school on the East Coast. His younger brother Eric followed a similar path. More recently, Los Lunas standout Jalin Holland, like Hines, left before his senior season and went to play for a high-profile national program in the Phoenix area, ahead of attending the University of Colorado. Earlier this year, two of the metro’s elite baseball players, Colton Floyd of Sandia and JJ Utash of Los Lunas, left for schools near Phoenix to increase their visibility.
Lunn admitted it was difficult to leave Volcano Vista, where he said “having those memories was fun.”
“It was hard,” he said, “trying to figure out what was best for me moving forward.”
Lunn is competing this spring and summer with Team Thrill, an elite AAU club team out of Baltimore. He’s been with this team for multiple years.
“It’s been a blessing to play at Volcano for 3 years, to win 3 state championships, with the best guys & coaches in the state,” Lunn wrote in his social media post. “Being able to play at home in front of my friends & family has created memories for a lifetime. I’m looking forward to this next Chapter @CATSBoston.”
James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at [email protected] or via X at @JamesDYodice.
Continue reading...
David Lunn, the standout guard for five-time defending state champion Volcano Vista, announced on social media Saturday afternoon that he is leaving Albuquerque and will bypass his senior season with the Hawks for a prep school on the East Coast.
He is transferring to the CATS Academy in Boston, he said on X.
“I feel like this will allow me to prepare for college next year,” Lunn told the Journal. “This year, we felt it was time to think about it.”
CATS Academy Boston describes itself as an international prep school. Last year, it joined the Nike Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Scholastic. Its schedule places it opposite other top prep schools in the region, and also some national-level squads.
This move, Lunn said, will allow him to raise his profile.
“Schools have been reaching out and (I’ve) been looking for good opportunities for myself,” he said. “Just trying to have some tough teams to play against.”
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Lunn has been an integral component of three titles with the Hawks. He averaged 20.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his junior year at Volcano Vista.
“We’re proud of David and everything that we’ve accomplished together,” Volcano Vista coach Greg Brown said.
Lunn, 17, is the second recent basketball player from New Mexico who was regarded as the state’s best incoming talent to leave the high school ranks before their senior season. Bella Hines, who’ll be a sophomore at TCU this upcoming season after transferring from LSU, skipped her senior season at Eldorado to be at Albuquerque’s ABC Prep.
Purdue center Daniel Jacobsen played his freshman and sophomore seasons at La Cueva, then left for a prep school on the East Coast. His younger brother Eric followed a similar path. More recently, Los Lunas standout Jalin Holland, like Hines, left before his senior season and went to play for a high-profile national program in the Phoenix area, ahead of attending the University of Colorado. Earlier this year, two of the metro’s elite baseball players, Colton Floyd of Sandia and JJ Utash of Los Lunas, left for schools near Phoenix to increase their visibility.
Lunn admitted it was difficult to leave Volcano Vista, where he said “having those memories was fun.”
“It was hard,” he said, “trying to figure out what was best for me moving forward.”
Lunn is competing this spring and summer with Team Thrill, an elite AAU club team out of Baltimore. He’s been with this team for multiple years.
“It’s been a blessing to play at Volcano for 3 years, to win 3 state championships, with the best guys & coaches in the state,” Lunn wrote in his social media post. “Being able to play at home in front of my friends & family has created memories for a lifetime. I’m looking forward to this next Chapter @CATSBoston.”
James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at [email protected] or via X at @JamesDYodice.
Continue reading...
