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The national stock of Bella Hines is perhaps hotter than even New Mexico鈥檚 scorching temperatures.

Hines arrives at Eldorado High School week after next for her academic junior year. There is a strong and maybe unshakeable case to be made that she has blossomed into the state鈥檚 most recognizable prep athlete, regardless of gender.

It鈥檚 been a whirlwind spring and summer for Hines, the Eagles鈥� 5-foot-10 combo guard who has rapidly evolved into New Mexico鈥檚 most recruited girls basketball player 鈥� probably ever.

Hines certainly rates as one of the country鈥檚 best prospects.

鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e put in the work to be able to say I am,鈥� Hines said. 鈥淚 just try to stay humble and keep working. I can鈥檛 be satisfied with where I鈥檓 at.鈥�

Where she鈥檚 at is here:

Hines has, in essence, been her own personal heat wave, racking up 32 Division I scholarship offers to date, with more certainly on the horizon.

This list of suitors includes some heavy hitters 鈥� none of them more prominent than Iowa, which fell to LSU in last season鈥檚 national championship game.

鈥淏ig shock to me,鈥� Hines said of the Iowa offer.

She had just returned to sa国际传媒官网网页入口 from the Nike Nationals event in Chicago, where the Hawkeyes scouted Hines.

It was a game-changing type of offer in an offseason from Eldorado that has been chock full of them.

鈥淚 was super excited,鈥� Hines said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 like to show my emotions, but inside I was really happy.鈥�

鈥淪he鈥檚 really good at controlling her emotions,鈥� her father Josh, sitting next to Bella for this interview, said with a smile. 鈥淲e get a whole lot more excited.鈥�

The full list: SMU, Cincinnati, Florida State, TCU, San Francisco, BYU, New Mexico, Arizona State, Alabama, New Mexico State, Delaware, Colorado State, Utah, Kansas State, UAB, Texas Tech, North Texas, Vanderbilt, Houston, Syracuse, UTEP, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Texas A&M, Arizona, Iowa, Auburn, West Virginia, Pitt, Florida State, UTSA and, most recently, Cal.

鈥淭hey all pitch me a lot of stuff, saying they鈥檒l promise me this (or that), but it鈥檚 the relationships I built with certain schools (that matter),鈥� Hines said.

Pressed to name her favorites, Iowa and Alabama top the current short list. (UNM is not in contention, she said.)

鈥淚 know what my top five is,鈥� she said, smiling, but keeping her cards close to the vest. She did reveal that she鈥檒l be taking an official visit to Alabama in September. And she might plot a trip to Iowa this upcoming school year, if for no other reason than to meet Hawkeyes鈥� superstar Caitlin Clark.

This burst of attention, which has practically been nonstop and elevated Hines from one of the region鈥檚 most recognized prospects to a name ingrained on a national scale, does not fluster her.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 been overwhelming,鈥� Hines, 16, said. 鈥淚 like getting to know people. I鈥檓 a really talkative person, so I don鈥檛 mind talking to multiple coaches.鈥�

Hines said she hopes to decide by perhaps early next year on a college. She is coming off a sensational sophomore campaign in which she averaged a state-leading 30 points a game for the Eagles.

The explosion in D1 offers for Hines can likely be directly traced to her decision to change club teams this year. Two-thirds of her D1 offers, she said, have come since this current club season started.

Hines has been playing for CyFair Elite, a Houston-based squad. How elite? Hines鈥� 32 offers, she said, rank a distant third on this roster alone, which includes seven of the top 50 prospects in the country. Shaquille O鈥橬eal鈥檚 daugher Me鈥橝rah is among Hines鈥� teammates.

鈥淚 fit in really well with this program,鈥� she said. She played primarily for a club team in Colorado a year ago. 鈥淏eing on a team full of ranked players has just really boosted all of our exposure in general, and playing with Shaq鈥檚 daughter doesn鈥檛 hurt.鈥�

The CyFair travel has been intensive, to be sure. There have been events in Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Virginia; she is in Orlando, Florida, this weekend, and her club calendar ends at the end of this month with a special invite event in Memphis.

鈥淲hen I was on (previous club teams in Colorado and New Mexico), I was getting exposure, but I wasn鈥檛 getting the exposure I wanted,鈥� Hines said. 鈥淪o I knew I had to branch off and go play for another team in a different state to get my exposure. ... I just feel like I made the best move.鈥�

Amari Brown left New Mexico last year, moving to Atlanta, in part, to expand his national profile. He would perhaps have played at Cibola had he stayed in town; he is returning to sa国际传媒官网网页入口 later this year to compete for ABC Prep.

Hines was asked if she had considered a similar relocation to heighten awareness of her game.

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely crossed my mind,鈥� she said candidly. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. It might happen, it might not.鈥�

Her father said Bella could and perhaps should average more than 35 points next season at Eldorado, given her improvements.

鈥淏eing able to play off the ball,鈥� Hines said of how her game has improved since joining CyFair. 鈥淚n high school, I consistently have the ball in my hands, always trying to get the ball in the hole by myself. With CyFair, I鈥檓 able to work off the ball, off of screens, work on other parts of my game that doesn鈥檛 include me having the ball 24/7.鈥�

She definitely has become must-watch basketball in these parts. As much as any girl sa国际传媒官网网页入口 has ever seen.

And, Hines said, as a post script, if her 3-point shooting becomes more consistent, 鈥渢hen I feel like this season nobody will be able to guard me.鈥�