ABCD Camp
- Thread starter Halldan
- Start date
Sonny's last 3 or 4 camps at rothman was great talent and competitive weeks and all star games
I’m convinced without injuries Oden was going to be a HOFer. He was so good at OSU. Remember his performance in the title game as a freshman against that loaded Florida squad coached by Billy the Kid where he went for like 25 and 15 with a ridiculous shooting percentage from the field against that Florida front court that was comprised of NBA players (Noah, Horford and Brewer).
loved the abcd at fdu. and they were a custoner making me watching a few hours easy to fit in.
One time, a forward I didnt recognize was killing it. I asked a guy sitting by me tor a program, mentioning this kid. I was dressed in a suit and tie, and the kids relative sitting close by thought I was important and came over to tell me all about Alton Ford. Think he got drafted out of hs and played a few yrs in the nba.
Another time, i came expressly to watch Dan Werner play. He is a yr younger than my oldest son and they went to the same grammar school and played in the church rec leagues, saw Dan first when he was in 2nd grade. Got to sit with his Dad and watch him. A local asst coach did his best to get Mr W's attn but I think he ignored him, was a no contact period...
White Manna!!! Man, do I love those burgers.
One time, a forward I didnt recognize was killing it. I asked a guy sitting by me tor a program, mentioning this kid. I was dressed in a suit and tie, and the kids relative sitting close by thought I was important and came over to tell me all about Alton Ford. Think he got drafted out of hs and played a few yrs in the nba.
Another time, i came expressly to watch Dan Werner play. He is a yr younger than my oldest son and they went to the same grammar school and played in the church rec leagues, saw Dan first when he was in 2nd grade. Got to sit with his Dad and watch him. A local asst coach did his best to get Mr W's attn but I think he ignored him, was a no contact period...
White Manna!!! Man, do I love those burgers.
He has pivoted to the tech/business sector, working as a Scrum Master at Agile Alliance. He remains closely tied to the game by speaking to students. For example, he recently spoke at the Delbarton School in New Jersey about identity, overcoming adversity, and defining one's path off the court.
I always looked forward to the ABCD after the 4th of July . Good basketball talent in the middle of Summer, even attended when it was held in Princeton .
I attended 5-6 years in a row and met Lebron as high school junior, saw Kobe and countless other future NBA stars, Dwight Howard being one.
I also played Joachim Noah, he was a 6'10 freshman when Ron Naclerio brought him down. (He beat me 11-5). Also played Jay Williams in the morning before camp started. He was a counselor. Great memories.
They had a really nice spread for the media with drinks, chips, snacks. Happy times.
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This is great news. I was there when an unknown kid named Tracy exploded at ABCD.
With the new college rules unless changed the camps will never be as important as they once were. But for BB purist who love the game this is indeed great news.
I remember seeing Howard McNeil play in H.S. he possessed exceptional guard skills
in a big man’s body. Watching Howard McNeil and Dan Callandrillo was exciting. The
NY Daily News ran a full back ad “Saying something Seton Hall winning the Callandrillo
sweepstakes”.
in a big man’s body. Watching Howard McNeil and Dan Callandrillo was exciting. The
NY Daily News ran a full back ad “Saying something Seton Hall winning the Callandrillo
sweepstakes”.
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Nothing beats the great Lebron James - Lenny Cooke showdown.
Sadly, when I used to go, the names of 30-40 HS kids were at the tip of my tongue. Now, couldnt pick a MCD AA player out of a lineup.
Lenny who? LeBron destroyed Cooke and he just disappeared after that. Never went to college and never drafted or even sniffed the NBA.
I remember sitting near Coach K as he watched Kobe and Shaheen go head to head. While I was dreaming of Tim Thomas and Shaheen as Pirates.
Safdie Bros directed a great documentary on him.
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JR attended abcd but not in tmac era...shu recruited him to some degree he had some connection to john Allen. There was an asbury park press article summer of 03 before he committed to unc previewing abcd week and he was a big talent.
I am sure kobe and Tmac showed out at abcd but the OJ Mayo Lance, Bill Walker Brandon Jennings camps were insane. Fisher and Stokes were there too. Kevin Love, Renardo Sidney.
After Sonny decided to sit out or whatever because 2006 was last camp at FDU, Chris Rivers took over and RbkU went down to Philly for the week. Howie Magee campus Philly Textile. Very nice campus. Gym was popping with action not as heralded as last two years at FDU.
I remember a few things from Philly year
Olu Ashalou who had the same handler at Tweety a guard Rutgers was involved with but went to Arizona State....Olu had a massive driving dunk over Renardo Sidney.
Little isiah thomas and Brandon Jennings were on the same team that week very unfair.
Thomas came off a ball screen and threw an oop to a back cutting jennings for a baseline flush that woke up the gym.
Jennings told me he was forced to verbal to USC and then ended up committing to Arizona.
Kevin Jones from Mount Vernon told me his brother was handling his recruiting.
After Sonny decided to sit out or whatever because 2006 was last camp at FDU, Chris Rivers took over and RbkU went down to Philly for the week. Howie Magee campus Philly Textile. Very nice campus. Gym was popping with action not as heralded as last two years at FDU.
I remember a few things from Philly year
Olu Ashalou who had the same handler at Tweety a guard Rutgers was involved with but went to Arizona State....Olu had a massive driving dunk over Renardo Sidney.
Little isiah thomas and Brandon Jennings were on the same team that week very unfair.
Thomas came off a ball screen and threw an oop to a back cutting jennings for a baseline flush that woke up the gym.
Jennings told me he was forced to verbal to USC and then ended up committing to Arizona.
Kevin Jones from Mount Vernon told me his brother was handling his recruiting.
The documentary is great for those who haven’t watched it. Cooke should have gone to college and admits it was a mistake to listen to the wrong people.
Not sure he was making college. He went to multiple high schools.
Brandon Jennings was not going to college.
JR Smith was going to UNC in name only.
Yes, Absolutely right.
I watched that game. It was standing room only and an enjoyable war. Too bad Lenny didnt make it. Tremendous athlete and talent.
I forgot what derailed his career. For some reason, im thinking knee issues. Am I correct or was it something else?
Thanks for the reminder on this match up. Was a blast to watch.
The question that I asked about Lenny Cooke was very clearly answered in that Doc trailer. VERY SAD. All his elite level contemporaries, Kobe, Melo etc made it just like Lenny should have.
The massive regrets he must have.
Reminds me that when I saw LeBron the summer before his junior year, he was guarded and watched over like a hawk by his mother and "personal team". I mean LITERALLY EVERY MOVE the kid made was scrutinized and made sure that nothing bad would happen. Remember, he is the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Ive never seen anything like this before or since.
At least,it BIG TIME worked out for Lebron.
Lenny Cooke finished high school in NJ but was already 19 and was disqualified from playing. He had to repeat 9th grade when he was living in NJ. I am shocked the basketball advisors did not send him to a NE prep school. He was also diagnosed with a learning disability. He did not measure well at NBA draft camp then hurt his toe. In the minor league circuit he had a terrible accident and one leg was very injured. He then also tore both achillies in the span of 3 years and his weight ballooned.
Remember reading about the ABDC camp in the Star Ledger as a young teenager. Could anyone attend or was it only for coaches / scouts?
Anyone could attend. But eventually coaches were separated from the fans in different sections.
First time there in 1995 I was wondering how to get the "program" not knowing it was a coach's book only they could get. I kept asking out loud who certain players were and the guy next to tells me some names and I asked him who he was and he says John Griffin, head coach at the time at St Joe's. My friend next to me says, who are you great recruits for next year. He said, I don't have any. Phil Matelli was announced after he was fired three weeks later. For years you sat amongst the coaches. I used to take the week off from work to attend for at least 8+ years. BTW my favorite time was 1999 when Marcus Toney-El committed at the camp soon to be followed by Barrett and EG.
I think in those days the access to the general public was a condition of the NCAA sanctioning? So things like the coaches book were a way of separating the public from the coaches.