Big Man Camp features
the NBA’s future stars
The weeklong event
By Cindy Luis
begins Monday at UH
Star-BulletinWho will be the next NBA stars? Come see for yourself. That's the invitation Pete Newell is issuing for his Big Man's Camp next week at the University of Hawaii. Some of the biggest names in the pros and college ranks -- at least according to the tape measure -- will be here to hone their skills during week-long sessions at the Special Events Arena and Gym II.
"Our camp has changed in character and we have probably more young players at the NBA camp than in previous years," said Newell, a member of the collegiate and NBA halls of fame. "The first years, we had a lot of all-stars ... Shaquille O'Neal, Shawn Kemp, Danny Manning. But since then, there's been a change (in contract signings) with younger players signing earlier and being encouraged to attend these types of camps."
A dozen NBA teams have sent their big guys to Hawaii for one-on-one development with some of the best teaching coaches in the game, including Kiki Vandeweghe, Mark Iavaroni, Tim Grgurich and Rick Carlisle.
Five of the top 15 picks from last June's NBA draft are here: Tim Thomas (Philadelphia), Austin Croshere (Indiana), Maurice Taylor (L.A. Clippers), Kelvin Cato (Portland) and Vitaly Potapenko (Cleveland). There's also a number of centers and forwards Newell predicts could become marquee players, such as former Wyoming shotblocker Theo Ratliff (Detroit) and Central Connecticut State product Keith Closs (Clippers).
"People think Closs is too thin (7-foot-3, 212 pounds) but I try to point out how thin Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) was when he came into the league," said Newell, who coached Cal to the 1960 NCAA championship. "And they called Wilt (Chamberlain) the 'Stilt.' Both of those guys are Hall of Famers."
Some 30 players, representing 24 colleges also will work on improving their skills.
Newell is especially high on Pacific's Mike Olowokandi and Brad Millard of St. Mary's College. The latter is 7-3, 345 pounds and wears a size 23 shoe.
"Brad was in camp last year and it was very fortunate for us," Newell said. "ESPN had a five-minute spin on him right before the NCAA tournament. He had a very good year and he credited the camp with helping him. I think out of this group, there'll be at least six lottery picks."
Among the collegiate players are Jelani McCoy (UCLA), Tim Young (Stanford), Rich Mandeville (Indiana) and Brad Miller (Purdue). Bryan Moeller, a Rainbow newcomer, also is in camp.
One difference between the pro and college camps is the "No Dunking" rule for college players.
"Dunking is an ability," Newell said. "It is not a technique or skill. Basketball is a game of counters, offense against defense. We'll work on moves to beat any defense and shots from 10-feet away that they're going to have to learn to make.
"What we're trying to bring to the islands is a quality of play that improves the game. We also want kids and their parents to come and watch. They'll be able to see NBA players and future NBA players. And it's free."
Who da BIG guys?
Pros
Cleveland: Zydrunas Illgaukas, Vitaly Potapenko, Cedric Henderson. Detroit: Theo Ratliff. Dallas: Ed O'Bannon. Seattle: Jim McIlvaine. Golden State: Erick Dampier, Indiana: Austin Croshere. L.A. Clippers: Lamond Murray, Lorenzen Wright, Maurice Taylor, Keith Closs. Portland: Gary Trent, Jermaine O'Neal, Kelvin Cato. Sacramento: Michael Stewart. Denver: George Zidek. Philadelphia: Eric Montross, Tim Thomas. Phoenix: Horatio Llamas, Loren Meyer. Others: Rastko Cvetkovic, Todd Lindeman, Chris Dudley, Thomas Burrough.
San Diego: Jeff Knoll. Stanford: Tim Young. SW Texas: Jeff Foster. Nevada: Steve Plenkoski. Ashland: Ray Weaver. LaSalle: Garrett Brag. Marshall: Josh Pray. Connecticut: Jake Voskuhl. Washington State: Leif Nelson. Pacific: Rayne Mahaffey, Mike Olowokandi. California: Sean Marks, Kenyon Jones. UC Irvine: Andrew Carlson. American: Alex Harris. Loyola Marymount: Peter Cornell. St. Mary's: Brad Millard. UCLA: Jelani McCoy. Colorado State: Michael O'Neill. Iowa: Guy Rucker. Sonoma State: Patrick Ingham. Indiana: Rich Mandeville. Purdue: Brad Miller. Alabama: Jeremy Hays. BYU: Bret Jepsen. Hawaii: Bryan Moeller.
The facts
