Padilla represents Taos in All-Star game
The very best high school ballers in the state of New Mexico from the 4A and 5A class assembled on Saturday (March 19) at Santa Fe High to compete in an exhibition game that’s been dubbed the “Red V Green All-Star game.” It was formerly the North V South game.
Taos’ very own Anthony Padilla was selected to play for team Red among a field of exceptionally talented basketball players. Some of the competitors have either the size and frame of an NBA player, or at least the skillset of a professional basketball player.
Case in point, there were a couple plays where alley-oops were thrown off a pick and roll at the top of the key, resulting in thunderous two-handed jams in traffic.
At half time, KRQE interviewed Las Cruces point guard, William “Deuce” Benjamin, and Highland’s center, Jose Murillo.
The prolific 3-point shooter, Marin Rodriguez, from district rival Española, also made it to the all star game and, in fitting fashion, played for team Green, opposite of Padilla.
In the shoot-around before the game, most players were practicing their dunks. The 6-foot-11 Las Cruces center, Isiah Carr, even took off from the dotted line and got more than enough air to finish the dunk.
The all star game started with an interesting matchup between two giants. It’s not very often Murillo or Carr have been in the post with a defender that’s equal to their size. Carr is 2 inches taller than Murillo, but Murillo is 15 pounds heavier and more muscular.
In the 5A State Basketball championship game against Del Norte, Murillo had an unreal stat line of 40 points and 20 rebounds.
Scoring against Carr wouldn’t come easy, but he got the better of him with an up and under underneath the rim for a turnaround dunk.
Defense isn’t a strong point in most all star games, but Carr and Murillo soared for spectacular blocks on anyone willing to go for a layup high off the glass. Santa Fe’s P.J. Lovato also brought defensive intensity to the game with steals and deflections.
Some players sacrificed a sure basket for a crowd-pleasing dunk, but didn’t have quite the hops for it. The most comedic of these attempts was by Khohanon Yazzie who hung on to the rim and tipped the ball in with his offhand. The announcer jokingly mentioned it should definitely count as a made basket.
William “Deuce” Benjamin and Sean Johnson looked like basketball players whose talents will translate at the next level.
Deuce, who averages 25.6 points a game, cannot be guarded by just one defender. He has a springy first step whereby the defender can only catch up to Deuce’s movements but not deter him. Deuce was out there doing whatever he pleased, going for as many tricks in the book as possible.
The 6-foot-6 Johnson plays like a prototypical small forward. He has a smooth dribble when facing up to the basket and sinks shots from the elbow with ease. He’s the kind of player you can only stop if he happens to miss.
Team Green dominated Team Red throughout the game, with the exception of a late-game push powered by Padilla’s shooting.
In limited minutes, he scored 14 points in a game where any single player is a scoring threat and may not pass the ball back out to you.
Team Green won 117-104, in what would look like an NBA score line.
After the game, Padilla’s father, Paul Padilla — who played basketball for Capital and currently plays in the Taos Adult Basketball League — talked about Anthony Padilla’s love for the game and his bright future.
“I’m just happy he was able to represent Taos. He started out as a third-grader. He was a third-grader playing fifth-grade ball. He was that good. He went up to sixth grade and seven. He kept playing and playing….We have some D-2, D-3 schools looking at him. But not D-1 or anything like that. We just got to get him in his first semester.”
Paul Padilla also mentioned Anthony Padilla’s younger brother might be as good as him, once he’s old enough for varsity.