Dora's Lieb impressive in UNM camp

Dora junior-to-be Lathan Lieb was a recent invite to the University of New Mexico Elite basketball camp held earlier this month at the college.

Coyotes coach Ty Thatcher said Lieb was looking to get some exposure from a different basketball camp, but schedule conflicts came up.

“Talking with different coaches, this opportunity (at UNM) came up,” Thatcher said. “I talked to the coaches at UNM and they said, ‘Send him up for the individual camp, we’ll take a look at him and see if he belongs there.’”

Lieb went to the individual camp with three other Dora players, Kyler King and Dylan and Dalton Privett. About halfway through the individual camp, Thatcher said, Lieb was asked by Lobos coaches to stay for the elite camp, where only about 40 players gain invites.

The two camps ran June 1-7.

Lieb, a 6-foot-2 forward who helped the Coyotes reach the state Class 1A semifinals ini March, said the camps were fun. He said he got to play against a lot of good competition.

“It was good for me,” Lieb said. “It showed me what I really need to work on to play with guys at that level.”

Thatcher said they had the recruits playing on teams against Lobos players.

“It was definitely a great experience for Lieb,” Thatcher said. “I think he held his own and did a good job with it.”

The camp had a handful of players from small schools across the state, including Scott Adler of Mesilla Valley and Emery Coleman of Tularosa.

Lieb said he had to work hard to stay with the field.

“They’re good and it was a lot of fun playing that type of competition,” Lieb said. “It showed me how they play the game and how they play at the Division I level.”