SPORTS: Star basketball player faces injury, out for season
By Vicente Mendoza
Sports Editor
Published Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024
Following a magical 2023-2024 season, a star senior basketball player joins the injured list after dislocating a shoulder. The Dustdevils looked forward to seeing his defensive speciality and his leadership.
The team made major improvements, including an overall winning record, improving the Lone Star Conference record and lastly, making the LSC Tournament and advancing to the semifinals.
Olaverr Camacho holds a Dustdevils flag as he helps to excite the crowd during Maroon Madness on Oct. 22.
The historic season occurred because of great leadership from the players who closely followed the system coach Mac McConnell set up for the team. One of those leaders was senior power forward/center Olaverr Camacho. Camacho was born and raised in Guatemala and originally came to TAMIU in 2022 as a transfer from Panola College. After joining the Dustdevils, he grew as a leader on and off the court.
“I came with a different mentality, trying to improve my game and just trying to buy into what our coach wanted us to accomplish last year,” Camacho said.
This new mentality Camacho embraced last season showed on the court, with the Dustdevils becoming one of the best defensive teams in the LSC. This mentality did not go unnoticed by his teammates, especially senior point guard Esteban Roacho.
“He was probably one of the most important pieces on our team,” Roacho said. “He was one of those players who brought energy, passion and grit when the team needed it the most. He was also one of the leaders last year who helped lead the team with his defensive ability.”
While the Dustdevils defensive rating was through the roof, there were many accolades for Camacho himself throughout last season. During his 2023-2024 campaign, he earned the LSC Top Defensive Player of the Week twice. This came from games where he snagged multiple rebounds in both the offensive and defensive sides, plus many blocks in the paint which prevented easy points.
“My teammates pushed me everyday through the ups and downs. I was trying to give my 100 percent every single day, and my hard work paid off,” Camacho said.
Looking forward to the current season, Camacho sought to pick up where he left off and further the Dustdevils’ improvement. He will, however, be out for a season-ending injury.
“I will still be the leader for my team this season,” Camacho said. “The game of basketball has taught me the ability of adjusting, and this minor setback will not stop me from helping this team win going forward.”
Camacho has one year of eligibility remaining.
