With a big smile on his face, Española Valley guard Isaiah Dominguez watched former University of New Mexico star guard Donovan Dent shout instructions Monday during a pop-up camp at Mesa Vista High School.
“Box out, box out,” Dent yelled as a shot went up during a half-court scrimmage.
Nearly 150 basketball players from first grade to high school enjoyed instructions from Dent, fellow former Lobos player Dairese Gary, a star guard from the previous generation, as well as B’Angelo Mason, who is creeping up the high school recruiting lists as a rising sophomore from ABC Prep in Albuquerque.
“I saw it on social media for a while, and I asked my mom if I could go and share the money, so I was pretty excited that she did,” Dominguez said. “Donovan, he’s a really special player, and I’ve been watching him since his college days. And I’ve seen some of his highlights, so I was pretty excited.”
Coming to Mesa Vista is part of an ongoing statewide camp tour that Dent is conducting to reach out to New Mexico’s youth.
“They’re pretty far out, so they don’t get to do as much stuff as the ones local in Albuquerque,” Dent said, explaining why he’s venturing outside the metro area. “So it’s kind of cool. Oh God, it was just kind of cool to see all the kids pop out. I didn’t expect as many kids and seeing all them come out is honestly amazing.”
With just a limited time with the players, Dent hoped to make a few points that stuck, teach a few new drills and see the players have fun.
“Just as much as I can to teach them about the game,” he said. “Right now, we’re playing live, Final Five. I’m just helping teach right now. Read the box out, just stuff like that. I cover with them as much as I can with the basketball stuff.”
It was also a great time for the players to find out what it’s like to play college basketball at the highest level and in the NCAA Tournament. Gary, like Dent, helped the Lobos reach the tournament during his playing days.
“I let them ask me any type of questions they want, and I try to connect with the community,” Gary said. “I feel like I’ve never been out in this area, so for me to come out and spend time with them is actually amazing.”
Gary, who is the lead coach at ABC Prep, worked with the younger crowd and by the smile on his face, was having almost as much fun as the players.
“I’m just trying to expand a little bit,” he said. “Being from Indiana, I don’t know a lot of spots in New Mexico, so when we got the chance to come up this way and try to give back and see some of the kids up here, it was a no-brainer.”
There were so many players that wanted to participate, Trojans girls coach Jesse Boies had to open the auxiliary gym, which is usually the cafeteria.
“I thought it was amazing,” Gary said of the turnout. “It’s just a nice day. With Donovan Dent coming up here, I know he’s a big reason. He was a great player for the Lobos, but just a support to come out and see all these kids and put this on is great.”
Boies agreed that it was an amazing show.
“Once they reached out to us from day one, I knew it was gonna be special,” he said. “I knew it was gonna be special. Once the word got out there, I knew all the north would take advantage of it, and they should have. I knew that the north would show up and represent.”
Players came from as far away as Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Taos, Boies said, as well as many wearing the black and gold of the hometown Trojans.
“These guys, they bring another aspect to the game that these kids don’t experience with us,” he said. “These guys have been playing Michigan, in the Sweet 16 (almost), for instance. They’re asking questions of his hardest game, which was against Washington when they had Isaiah Thomas on the team back then.”
It’s the type of experience that can provide an ah-ha moment for a youngster, Boies said.
“So, stuff like that they get to experience,” he said. “And there’s good goals and they can actually see that you can get out of here. I mean, you work hard enough, and get in the right group and anything could happen. But, man, the support has been overwhelming. And just to see communities like Peñasco, Escalante, there’s even people from Albuquerque here and to just come and show support of it. It’s awesome, and very cool and they want to do it again, so that’s great.”
It was something that Taos freshman-to-be Rose Mares certainly was not going to miss.
“It’s very exciting getting to work with him, and knowing he just wants to help us get better is very exciting and helpful,” she said. “He’s intense. He goes right into it. He’s not afraid. He works with his team. He’s together with them.”
Her big takeaway, Mares said, was moving better with and without the ball.
“Just working together with my team and pushing it to the limits, no matter what,” she said. “This has been interesting. It’s quite an experience, because us in New Mexico don’t really get that experience.”