The Monitor’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Teams and Superlatives
Player of the Year: Axel Garza, Edinburg Vela
Offensive Player of the Year: Danny Canul, McAllen Memorial
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Jediah Rivens and Zion Rodriguez, Weslaco East
Utility Player of the Year: EJ Avelar, Edinburg Vela
Co-Newcomers of the Year: Jordan Bustamante, Edinburg Vela and Raul Palacios, Edinburg North
Coach of the Year: Lucio Rodriguez, Edinburg Vela
The Monitor’s All-Area First Team
Trey Ashley, Alamo Christian Macedonian; D’Aundre Canada, McAllen High; Noah Cazares, Weslaco High; Joseph Cruz, Edinburg North; Joe Gonzalez, La Joya Palmview Caden Keller, McAllen Memorial; JP Olivarez, Edinburg Vela; Mando Trevino, McAllen Memorial; Leo Villarreal, La Joya High; Mario Villegas, McAllen High.
The Monitor’s All-Area Second Team
Pete Cantu, Weslaco High; Nathaniel De La Garza, Edinburg Economedes; EJ Garza, Weslaco East; Mason Lopez, PSJA North; Alex Martinez, Weslaco East; Diego Martinez, Rio Grande City; Axel Navarro, Edinburg High; Isaac Rios, Mission High; Diego Serrano, Mission Veterans; Julian Valdez, Sharyland Pioneer.
Offensive Player of the Year – Danny Canul, McAllen Memorial
McAllen Memorial senior forward Danny Canul began his high school career as The Monitor’s 2020-21 All-Area Boys Basketball Newcomer of the Year.
After an up-and-down three years since then that included missing his junior season due to UIL transfer rules, Canul is going out as The Monitor’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Offensive Player of the Year.
“It’s been a long journey. There was some waiting involved but it was all worth it in the end,” Canul said. “I just had to keep persevering through those times and stay focused and good things came out of it. … It was memorable. I did get to play in double-digit playoff games, which is something not a lot of people get to do. I’m grateful and thankful.
Canul led a talented McAllen Memorial team with experience and scored with ease on the inside, from mid-range and his specialty, from beyond the arc. He was one of the area’s top 3-point shooters with 92 makes from deep for a 45% shooting percentage. He averaged 17.7 points per game, 6.1 boards, 2.3 assists and 2.7 steals.
Canul, who was named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches UIL Class 5A All-Region team, helped lead the Mustangs to a 29-8 overall record and into the regional quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
Co-Defensive Players of the Year – Jediah Rivens and Zion Rodriguez, Weslaco East
Weslaco East had one of the toughest defensive units this past season, and guards Jediah Rivens and Zion Rodriguez, The Monitor’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Co-Defensive Players of the Year, were a large part of the reason why.
Right – Weslaco East’s Zion Rodriguez skies for a defensive rebound during a District 32-5A game against Brownsville Veterans on Jan. 23 at Weslaco East High School in Weslaco. Photo by Andrew Cordero – Special to RGVSports.com.
The Wildcats limited opponents to 40 points or less in 14 games this season. Rivens used his quickness to match up with guards, and length and leaping ability to match up with posts. Rodriguez stayed locked on his man for 32 minutes to come up with steals and turn them into easy buckets on the other end.
Rivens and Rodriguez led Weslaco East to the program’s first district championship in 14 years with a 26-9 overall record and 17-1 mark in District 32-5A play.
Utility Player of the Year – EJ Avelar, Edinburg Vela
Edinburg Vela senior guard EJ Avelar did whatever it took for the SaberCats, and it helped elevate his team.
He played a key role in Edinburg Vela’s 36-6 overall record, an undefeated District 31-5A championship and trip to the Region IV-5A final, averaging 11.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He also was named District 31-5A’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Often, he was tasked with manning up against a tough defensive assignment and delivered whenever his number was called offensively to earn The Monitor’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Utility Player of the Year honor.
“Before the game, I would just thank my team for letting me guard the other team’s best player and trusting my ability to handle the test that I was given. I went into every game wanting to do it, willing to do it, having the mentality that I’m going to stop this guy to give my team the best chance to win,” Avelar said.
Co-Newcomers of the Year – Jordan Bustamante, Edinburg Vela and Raul Palacios, Edinburg North
Edinburg Vela’s Jordan Bustamante and Edinburg North’s Raul Palacios splashed onto the scene with outstanding first years competing at the varsity level this season to split The Monitor’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Co-Newcomer of the Year honor.
Vela sophomore Bustamante came off the bench, provided an immediate boost to the SaberCats’ lineup and often finished games on the floor thanks to his scoring ability and high IQ.
“I started feeling it in the first scrimmage we had. I was feeling pretty nervous, but just playing the offense that we play, playing smart, I found it easy to score in ways I like to score,” Bustamante said. “I just wanted to help make it a special year and I think we did that going undefeated in district, winning 22 straight, going deep in the playoffs, those were my goals this year.”
He averaged 11.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and played well during the postseason with nine or more points in all five of the SaberCats’ playoff games.
North freshman Palacios started for the Cougars out of the gate and proved to be one of the area’s top shooters during his first season. He averaged 11.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and hit 71 3-pointers on the season for a 39% shooting percentage from long range.
“It was different because you usually don’t see a freshman doing all that in a game, but my teammates trusted me and when we had big shots they gave it to me,” Palacios said. “When other teams saw a freshman they didn’t take me serious, but going through the season, the more film people watched, the harder they guarded me and it was more competitive from beginning to end.
Edinburg North won a share of the District 31-6A championship and advanced to the area round of the Class 6A playoffs, with Palacios scoring 16 points in his first postseason game.
Coach of the Year – Lucio Rodriguez, Edinburg Vela
Edinburg Vela head coach Lucio Rodriguez is The Monitor’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season after leading the SaberCats to a third straight district title and into the regional final round of the UIL Class 5A state playoffs.
He coached Vela to a 36-6 overall record and a third consecutive district championship with an 18-0 record in 31-5A competition, and they went five rounds deep into the playoffs, becoming the Valley’s first team to reach a regional final in three years.
Rodriguez credits his players for buying into the game plan and executing, which resulted in four playoff wins over Harlingen South, Laredo Nixon, Sharyland Pioneer and San Antonio Wagner, with a trip to this year’s regional championship against San Antonio Veterans.
“After every game, I would remind them how appreciative I was of them to put their trust in me because I know that’s hard,” Rodriguez said. “I would ask them the same question you asked me, I don’t know why y’all believe in what we do here, but I’m super grateful, I’m super appreciative and that’s what keeps me working for those young men. Anything that was asked of those young men, they were a ‘yes sir, no sir’ kind of group, and I’m just so thankful for the type of kids that we get.”
