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EDINBURG — Edinburg Economedes’ Ray De Leon flashed signs of becoming a force to be reckoned with during his sophomore season, earning The Monitor’s 2019-20 All-Area Boys Basketball Newcomer of the Year.
He established himself as dominant during a highlight reel junior campaign that ended with De Leon being named The Monitor’s 2020-21 All-Area Boys Basketball Defensive Player of the Year.
By his senior season, the 6-feet, 3-inch guard was a full-fledged unstoppable power, averaging 27.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 4.7 steals and 3.7 blocks per game. De Leon’s star-studded final season resulted in garnering The Monitor’s 2021-22 All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
“This was definitely one of the goals I set for myself last year when I got defensive (player of the year). I told myself I wanted to get player of the year this year,” De Leon said. “I just went out there and had fun playing.”
De Leon filled each category of the stat sheet each time he took the court while leading Economedes to a 23-14 record overall and 12-4 in district play.
De Leon tore through opposing defenses as a crafty, yet dominant, finisher at the basket. His mid-range game was nearly automatic and hitting from deep was no problem either as he finished the year shooting 66% from the field and 60% from 3-point range with 84 made 3s.
Defensively, De Leon guarded positions 1-5 and dominated all matchups by averaging a combined 8.4 blocks and steals per game. His favorite play to make on the court was a chase-down block, å la LeBron James, which always swung momentum in the Jaguars’ favor.
“I just lock in, try to make the right play and do whatever I can to get the ‘W,’” he said. “It just comes naturally because I accepted my role and I took that on.”
De Leon’s season-high was a 50-point performance during a win over PSJA Southwest. He also dropped 40 points three times and 30-plus 12 different times.
He poured in 1,022 total points across 37 games during his senior season, finishing with 2,054 career points during his three years at Economedes.
“I proved to myself that I could be one of the greatest players to come out of Edinburg and I worked really hard for this,” he said.
“I want to continue playing basketball because it’s what I love doing. I’ll definitely be looking to play at the next level wherever an opportunity comes,” he added. “I have a couple opportunities, but right now I’m just waiting to see what’s best for me.”
