Duke BB Camp - Session 1

[cspan37421]

So, does anyone have a kid going to camp starting this Saturday? I'll be there with my son and one of his friends - whom we're trying to convert from being a UK fan.

:)

Also, any idea which players will be around?

[Cameron]

Wish I could be there. Miss the Duke Camp. Unfortunately, I am neither a kid nor free during the summer any longer to work it:(

Some great memories there. I'll never forget the summer Jason and Chris went to battle in the "range increaser" competition. Both made it out to half court, but Jason edged my hero in the end, making one from five feet beyond the mid-court stripe.

Is this still a feature during the nightly lectures?

[mattman91]

I went back in '06. It was the best week of my life.

Most of the players from the 05-06 team were all there, plus a few NBA players. I remember Chris Duhon was there. Your son will definately have a great time and his little friend will be converted!

[cspan37421]

That "range increaser" competition sounds pretty cool. I'd be wowed by that. In the previous 2 summers, I haven't seen that as far as last day/prior to dismissal exhibitions. They've had mostly dunk competitions, which to me are "meh." Though in terms of jumping over a half-dozen campers and wizardry around the rim, Mason was most impressive and won last year (by popular acclaim). 2 summers ago GH was there and unfortunately missed many before finishing with a couple easy throwdowns. I'm not sure if he wasn't bringing it all (not wanting to be injured before the draft), if he was tired, if he was attempting the near-impossible, or what, but I felt really bad for him.

So anyway, it's been dunktastic of late. A shooting competition sounds like a nice change of pace. Jon of course was one of our better shooters last year, but he wasn't at the camp - I think he was playing for Bruce Pearl in the Maccabiah games. But we've seen many of the players and they're all really nice. Coach K's staff does a great job running the camp, and that first summer he went ('08), even with the Olympics around the corner, Coach K was there ... and took his time with the campers and their families. He did not rush in/out - and knowing what he had on his plate, you notice those things.

My son's friend is a great kid whose parents went to IL and TN, but has a lot of extended family from KY. We gave his little brother some Duke shorts, and one day he came out in the yard wearing a UK jersey on top and Duke shorts on the bottom. I wished I had a camera for that! :D Just a guess, but I think that mash up would bother UK fans a lot more than Duke fans. [My dad reports that he still gets perturbed looks when he wears a Duke hat in public when he's in KY. They have not, nor ever will, apparently, forgive Laettner. Nevermind that they had their own moment of remarkable triumph over us in '98 - nothing removes the taste of '92 (or rather, they won't let go).]

[cspan37421]

follow up - Cameron, you asked about the nightly lectures - I've not been there for those. Just asked my son, and he remembers a shooting competition between Jon and Nolan on the morning of the last day one summer. I'm guessing it was '08 but perhaps I'm not remembering right about '09 and Jon's whereabouts.

[Hancock 4 Duke]

I'm going...what ages are your son and his friend? I'll be in the 13-14 group range. I went last year and the year before, and each time they only had about 3 players there for each session. The first year I was so excited because I had read other posts from 6 or so years ago where the whole team was there, so I don't know why they don't do that anymore. But the 3 or 4 players that ARE there put on a dunk competition for everyone and it's always great, one time Miles jumped over I think 4 campers and slammed it. It's been great both years, so I'm sure this one won't fail to surprise me.