It’s the dog days of winter, prep basketball teams are entering district play, and at least one of The New Mexican’s sports writers is distracting himself with random bits of news until the blissful arrival of postseason hoops.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Will Webber and James Barron review the latest developments that have caught their eye in the local high school basketball scene, touch on the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team’s upcoming games and talk about the Santa Fe Fuego’s new manager.

James says the St. Michael’s boys are “hands down the team to beat” in Class 3A, rising above Santa Fe Indian School and Navajo Prep in his mind. In 2A, the guys say there’s probably a five-team race involving Texico, Mesa Vista, Pecos, Santa Rosa and Escalante.

Will keeps turning the discussion to the Fuego, because who can get enough Pecos League baseball talk in January? Along with welcoming the team’s new manager, Will launches his campaign to be the Fuego’s play-by-play announcer in 2026.

Will also brings attention to the University of Illinois’ gargantuan new video board, which stretches 250 feet wide and 69 feet tall. He makes a plea to local teams to up their video board game.