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Talisha Joe will shoot thousands of baskets this summer.

She will pay close attention to her form, meticulously honing her shot with the hope of hearing Pit cheers again.

Joe, a 5-foot-7 point guard entering her senior year at Gallup High, was a fan favorite during the final scrimmage of the University of New Mexico women's basketball position camp Tuesday.

After Joe flashed a killer crossover and drove to the basket, a fan shouted over the cheers, "Recruit her!"

"It was awesome to hear the crowd behind me, but I'm trying to stay humble about it," Joe said. "I never expected anyone to be here for this, but that's how much they love basketball here. It reminds me how much work I have to do if I want to get back here. If I want to play in college, I have to keep pushing myself."

Most of the top high school athletes attending the camp left hoping to cross paths with UNM coaches later this summer during Amateur Athletic Union tournaments and sew up a scholarship offer.

Deeva Vaughn, a 6-foot forward entering her senior year at Highland High, was the only camper who said she has been offered a scholarship by the Lobos. UNM has three slots available for the 2008 recruiting class.

"It's a little early right now to be worried about that," Joe said.

Instead, Joe is more concerned with trying to break a bad habit.

She picked up basketball at an early age and began shooting from the hip to compensate for her lack of strength. She can consistently knock down 3-pointers, but her shot is too easy to block and her unorthodox form is a deal-breaker for most Division I coaches willing to take a chance on a relatively undersized point guard.

Joe, who was a high school teammate of current Lobo Valerie Kast, has received recruiting mail from UNM, UTEP, Michigan State and Santa Clara.

"I learned a lot at this camp and had a great time," Joe said. "I'm going to keep playing all summer and hope that I get to play in college. That would be a dream come true."

Plenty of other seniors-to-be at UNM's camp are swooning for the Lobos.

Veronica Mergersen, a 6-foot guard/forward from Dallas' Duncanville High, was arguably the most coveted recruit attending the camp. When camp ended, she had not been offered a scholarship but it seems inevitable given her skills and stature.

Mergersen did not participate in any of scrimmages because of a sprained ankle, but she still hobbled out of The Pit excited about the atmosphere.

"This would be an amazing place to play basketball," Mergersen said. "I had heard a lot about New Mexico being an up-and-coming program, but it's even better than I thought. I love the facilities and the coaches are great."

Mergersen, an all-district standout in one of Texas' most competitive basketball programs, has received offers from TCU, Kansas State, Missouri, SMU and several other Big 12 Conference schools. Her older sister, Mariana, plays at Texas, but Mergersen said she's eager to attend a different school and make a name for herself elsewhere.

"I'm going to make my decision in the fall before my senior year, and New Mexico's still on my list of places I'd like to go," she said. "I'm not rushing into any decisions, but I had a great time here."

Lauren Taylor, who will be a senior at Brownsburgh High in Indiana, couldn't contain her passion for the Lobos.

Taylor is a 5-foot-11 shooting guard who displayed the smoothest shot of the camp. She was an Indiana Junior All-Star who averaged 19.5 points per game and narrowly lost the marathon 3-point shooting contest that ended this year's camp.

"I knew I wanted to come here before, but now I really love it," Taylor said. "I love The Pit, I love the city, I love the weather, I love the layout of the campus, I love it all. It's perfect for me."

Now Taylor will work on convincing UNM coaches she's perfect for them.

"I'll see them again next month when I play in a tournament in Memphis," Taylor said. "I'm going to work really hard. Hopefully then they'll say the magic words and I'll get to be a Lobo."