The 2024 CIBACOPA season was the 22nd season of the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA), one of the professional basketball leagues of Mexico. The regular season began on 1 March 2024 and ended on 18 May 2024. The 2024 CIBACOPA All-Star Game was held on 20 April at the Arena ITSON in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora. The playoffs began on 23 May. The CIBACOPA finals between the Astros de Jalisco and the Rayos de Hermosillo started on 22 June, with the Rayos winning the championship on 27 June, for a league record fourth title.
Format 10 teams participated in the 2024 season, playing in one single group. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs, which are three rounds in a best-of-7 format.
Teams
Changes from the previous season The Ángeles de la Ciudad de México joined the league as an expansion team. The Frayles de Guasave returned to the league after a five-year hiatus, having last played in 2018.
Venues and locations
Team City State Arena Capacity JoinedÁngeles de la Ciudad de MéxicoMexico CityGimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera5,242Astros de JaliscoGuadalajaraJaliscoArena Astros3,509Caballeros de CuliacánCuliacánSinaloa1,810Frayles de GuasaveGuasaveSinaloa1,850Halcones de Ciudad ObregónCiudad ObregónSonoraArena ITSON3,500Ostioneros de GuaymasGuaymasSonora1,200Pioneros de Los MochisLos MochisSinaloaCentro de Usos Múltiples de Los Mochis3,000Rayos de HermosilloHermosilloSonoraArena Sonora3,500Tijuana ZonkeysTijuanaBaja CaliforniaAuditorio Zonkeys2,500Venados de MazatlánMazatlánSinaloaLobodome3,000
Personnel Team Head coach Captain Ángeles de la Ciudad de México Gustavo Quintero Luis Andriassi Astros de Jalisco Jorge Elorduy Jerime Anderson Caballeros de Culiacán Bernardo Fitz-González Michael Jackson Frayles de Guasave Michael Henry Halcones de Ciudad Obregón Guillermo Narvarte Tony Farmer Ostioneros de Guaymas Ben Sanders Markel Crawford Pioneros de Los Mochis Derrick Alston Anthony Johnson Rayos de Hermosillo Walter McCarty Terrence Drisdom Tijuana Zonkeys Enrique Zúñiga Joshua Webster Venados de Mazatlán Fernando Rivero Eliseo Murrieta
Transactions
Draft The 2024 CIBACOPA draft was held on 17 January 2024. Each team received one pick in a single round, though three teams declined to select a player. The order of the draft was reverse order of finish in 2023 while the sole expansion team, the Ángeles de la Ciudad de México, received the first overall pick.
Round Pick # Team Player Position1 1 Ángeles de la Ciudad de México Luis Andriassi G1 2 Caballeros de Culiacán Michael Jackson G1 3 Halcones de Ciudad Obregón Joshua Parker G1 4 Pioneros de Los Mochis – –1 5 Venados de Mazatlán F1 6 Ostioneros de Guaymas Juan Luis Ramírez G/F1 7 Frayles de Guasave – –1 8 Tijuana Zonkeys G1 9 Rayos de Hermosillo – –1 10 Astros de Jalisco Isaac Gutiérrez C
Coaching changes + Coaching changes Team 2023 season 2024 seasonOff-season Caballeros de Culiacán Froylán Verdugo (interim) Bernardo Fitz-González Halcones de Ciudad Obregón Martin Knezevic Guillermo Narvarte Ostioneros de Guaymas Pedro Carrillo Ben Sanders Pioneros de Los Mochis Guillermo Vecchio Derrick Alston Tijuana Zonkeys Claudio Arrigoni Enrique Zúñiga Venados de Mazatlán Eric Weissling Fernando RiveroIn-season Caballeros de Culiacán Bernardo Fitz-González Gerardo Álvarez (interim) Juan Manuel Nardini Venados de Mazatlán Fernando Rivero Gaston Essengué (interim) Derrick Allen
Off-season On 23 November 2023, the Pioneros de Los Mochis fired head coach Guillermo Vecchio after two seasons with the team. On 29 November 2023, the Pioneros de Los Mochis hired Derrick Alston as their head coach. On 14 December 2023, the Caballeros de Culiacán hired Bernardo Fitz-González as their head coach. On 20 December 2023, the Halcones de Ciudad Obregón hired Guillermo Narvarte as their head coach. On 22 December 2023, the Venados de Mazatlán hired Fernando Rivero as their head coach. On 9 January 2024, the Tijuana Zonkeys hired Enrique Zúñiga as their head coach. On 3 February 2024, the Ostioneros de Guaymas hired Ben Sanders as their head coach.
In-season On 17 March 2024, the Caballeros de Culiacán fired Bernardo Fitz-González. Gerardo Álvarez was named the interim head coach. On 19 March 2024, the Caballeros de Culiacán hired Juan Manuel Nardini as their head coach. On 26 March 2024, the Venados de Mazatlán fired Fernando Rivero. Gaston Essengué and Leroy Davis, the team's assistant coaches, were named the interim head coaches. On 3 April 2024, the Venados hired Derrick Allen as their head coach.
Pre-season The Tijuana Zonkeys played the San Diego Sharks of The Basketball League (TBL) in the inaugural Border Bragging Rights Series – a cross-border home-and-home series – held on 10 and 17 February. The Zonkeys beat the Sharks, 102–88, in the first matchup at Mira Mesa High School in San Diego before beating the Sharks, 91–61, a week later at the Arena Zonkeys in Tijuana. The inaugural Copa de Básquetbol DIF Sinaloa was played from 19 to 20 February between the four teams from the state of Sinaloa: the Caballeros de Culiacán, the Frayles de Guasave, the Pioneros de Los Mochis, and the Venados de Mazatlán, with proceeds going to local wheelchair basketball teams. The Caballeros beat the Venados, 102–98, in their first matchup in Mazatlán, while the Venados earned an 86–81 victory over the Caballeros a day later in Culiacán. Notably, the latter was attended by the Governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya. Meanwhile, the Pioneros beat the Frayles, 94–92, in their first matchup in Guasave before beating the Frayles again, 91–71, a day later in Los Mochis. The second annual Copa Salsa Huichol was played from 22 to 24 February at the Mesón de los Deportes in Xalisco, Nayarit, with the six participating teams being the Ángeles de la Ciudad de México, the Astros de Jalisco, the Caballeros de Culiacán, the Frayles de Guasave, the Pioneros de Los Mochis, and the Venados de Mazatlán. The Ángeles beat the Astros, 85–70, in the championship final and Will Yoakum was named the tournament MVP.
Regular season
Standings
First round
Second round
General table
Playoffs The 2024 CIBACOPA playoffs were played between the top eight teams over three rounds from 23 May to 27 June. All rounds were a best-of-seven series; a series ended when one team won four games, and that team advanced to the next round. All rounds, including the CIBACOPA Finals, were in a 2–3–2 format with regards to hosting.
Finals boxscore
Statistics
Individual statistic leaders Category Player Team Statistic Points per game Tony Farmer Halcones de Ciudad Obregón 23.1 Rebounds per game Torren Jones Frayles de Guasave 10.9 Assists per game Joshua Webster Tijuana Zonkeys 9.0 Steals per game Joshua Webster Tijuana Zonkeys 2.1 Blocks per game Raphiael Putney Pioneros de Los Mochis 2.7 Minutes per game Joshua Webster Tijuana Zonkeys 35.9 FG% Ruan Miranda Venados de Mazatlán 57.0% FT% Michael Jackson Caballeros de Culiacán 82.7% 3FG% Moisés Andriassi Astros de Jalisco 48.2%
Source: CIBACOPA
Team statistic leaders Category Team Statistic Points per game Astros de Jalisco 96.7 Rebounds per game Astros de Jalisco 35.1 Assists per game Rayos de Hermosillo 21.4 Steals per game Tijuana Zonkeys 8.2 Blocks per game Astros de Jalisco 4.1 FG% Astros de Jalisco 48.6 FT% Halcones de Ciudad Obregón 76.9 3P% Astros de Jalisco 37.9
Source: CIBACOPA
Note: Playoff statistics are included
All-Star Game The 2024 CIBACOPA All-Star Game was played on 20 April 2024 at Arena ITSON in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora. Zona Sur defeated Zona Norte, 150–145, with Jordan Allen earning All-Star Game MVP honors after recording 31 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists for the losing team.
Jordan Allen won the three-point shootout while Alonzo Stafford won the slam dunk contest. Additionally, pop singer Aleks Syntek closed the event with a live performance as part of his 3Decadas Tour.
+Zona NortePlayer Team Jordan Allen Pioneros de Los Mochis Arinze Chidom Tijuana Zonkeys Jorge Camacho Rayos de Hermosillo Markel Crawford Ostioneros de Guaymas Tanksley Efianayi Halcones de Ciudad Obregón Tony Farmer Halcones de Ciudad Obregón Jahvon Henry-Blair Ostioneros de Guaymas Jimond Ivey Rayos de Hermosillo Tomas Nuño Halcones de Ciudad Obregón Duby Okeke Tijuana Zonkeys Raphiael Putney Pioneros de Los Mochis Joel Reynoso Tijuana Zonkeys Joshua Webster Tijuana Zonkeys Diego Willis Rayos de Hermosillo Coaches: Guillermo Narvarte (Halcones de Ciudad Obregón) Enrique Zúñiga (Tijuana Zonkeys)
+Zona SurPlayer Team Luis Andriassi Ángeles de la Ciudad de México Kavell Bigby-Williams Astros de Jalisco Michael Bryson Astros de Jalisco DaQuan Bracey Ángeles de la Ciudad de México Michael Henry Frayles de Guasave Michael Jackson Caballeros de Culiacán José Miguel Martínez Caballeros de Culiacán Nana Opoku Ángeles de la Ciudad de México Jorge de la Serna Astros de Jalisco David Sloan Frayles de Guasave Alonzo Stafford Venados de Mazatlán Robert Whitfield Venados de Mazatlán Coaches: Jorge Elorduy (Astros de Jalisco) Gustavo Quintero (Ángeles de la Ciudad de México)
Notable occurrences On 2 March 2024, Jordan Allen of the Pioneros de Los Mochis set the league record for most three-pointers made in a game by making 13 (out of 20) in a 98–90 win over the Ángeles de la Ciudad de México. On 12 April 2024, Wesley Saunders of the Ostioneros de Guaymas recorded a triple-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 104–90 win over the Astros de Jalisco. On 13 April 2024, Joshua Webster of the Tijuana Zonkeys recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 102–90 win over the Rayos de Hermosillo. On 17 May 2024, Jeff Ledbetter of the Venados de Mazatlán tied the league record for most three-pointers made in a game by making 13 (out of 18) in a 124–122 loss to the Frayles de Guasave. On 22 June 2024, Jeff Ledbetter of the Venados de Mazatlán recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 96–75 win over the Astros de Jalisco in Game 1 of the CIBACOPA finals.
Notes
References
External links 2024 season on Latinbasket.com