Every time
Eldorado (Albuquerque) senior
Zach Lee explodes to the basket, there's a highlight-reel moment waiting to happen.
Think of the Energizer Bunny on a pogo stick, and that's what opponents have to face in Lee. Just ask La Cueva (Albuquerque).
The two district rivals engaged in another riveting game last Thursday, with Eldorado pulling away for an 80-69 win. Lee was a tour de force, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks and five rim-rattling dunks. On several occasions, the 6-foot-7, 185-pound Lee set a screen at the top of the key for teammate Cullen Neal — last year's Gatorade New Mexico Boys Basketball Player of the Year — before sprinting toward the basket.
High-flying Zach Lee and Eldorado are ona mission to repeat as state champions.
Courtesy photo
Neal would then lob a pass near the rim, where Lee routinely out-jumped defenders for dunks or layups.
La Cueva had no answer for Lee, whose athleticism, agility and length give the defending 5A state champion Eagles (14-6) arguably the most dynamic front court player in the state. If dunking were a statistic, Lee would definitely rank first in that category.
"He's good for two to three dunks per game," Eldorado coach Roy Sanchez said, whose team has a first-place 5A District 2 showdown game against Sandia (Albuquerque) Wednesday night. "He's our x-factor. I keep telling Zach to hang around the rim, because good things tend to happen. He's tall, athletic, strong around the basket and knows how to finish. He's also got a great instinct for the ball, which is why we're able to get it to him even when he's covered underneath the basket."
Lee's stellar above-the-rim talent overshadows other parts of his game. He possesses a solid jump shot — he's pretty consistent from 15 feet in — and he takes particular pride in intimidating the opposition. Lee averages 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks per game while altering countless other shots. He loves nothing more than to emphatically block an opponent's shot off the glass.
"One of my favorite things to do is pin the ball on the backboard," Lee said. "It sends a message and gets guys thinking twice about whether they should shoot it or not. I'm anticipating shots (from the opposition) better this year, and that's why I've been able to block a lot of shots this season."
Although Lee has made tremendous strides from a physical standpoint, it's his emotional development that has been key to harnessing his talent. When he was a freshman, Lee admitted he had a lot of attitude but not much game.
"I was good for a technical (foul) a game when I was younger," Lee said.
Fast forward to today, and the attitude is still there — minus most of the technicals, of course — while his game has risen to new heights. However, Lee doesn't just rely on his talent to get things done. Whenever he goes near the basket, he draws plenty of attention.
But whether it's rebounding the ball or catching it in traffic, Lee manages to win the majority of those battles on effort alone.
"A lot of times, I just want the ball more," Lee said.
It's that type of attitude and confidence that gets Sanchez excited.
"Every time Zach works hard, he gets better," Sanchez said. "When Zach was a sophomore, he was a bit timid. I don't think he knew how good he could be."
Before the start of last year's 5A state basketball tournament, Sanchez knew he needed his big man to play big. And that's exactly what Lee did, as he proved to be a difference-maker throughout Eldorado's state tournament title run. In the Eagles' 69-54 quarterfinal win over Manzano (Albuquerque), Lee finished with 17 points on a near-perfect 6 of 7 shooting.
"He was a monster," Sanchez said. "I tried to encourage him, knowing that we needed him to play well if we wanted to win state."
After Wednesday's contest against Sandia, the Eagles have only three games left before the start of the state tournament. Lee vividly remembers the feeling of helping his team win it all last year, and would love nothing more than to end his prep career at the Pit by repeating as state champs.
"It would be that much sweeter because we've had a target on our backs this season," Lee said. "Last year no one expected us to do it as a No. 5 seed. Most of our starting five has been playing together since we were in the sixth grade, so it would make it that much more special to end our careers in such a memorable way."
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