If You Gotta Have Hoops....

On Saturday morning, after a breakfast of muffins, granola and fresh fruit, we were ready to hit the blacktop, two freshly paved full courts where we had played a brief, erratic pickup game the night before. The first session covered ball handling in the open court, graduating from the inside-out dribble to the Hardaway. During one of my layups I heard Bzomowski yell, "Unless you are dropping the ball down into the basket, use the backboard." At 5'9", with a vertical leap closer to my shoe size than to my age, I am not ever likely to meet that initial condition, so I banked the ball from then on.

Throughout the day we gathered for lectures by Bzomowski and for demonstrations of various moves by the staff, the most impressive of which was a shot fake followed by a one-dribble layup from the top of the key, executed by Eisley. After discussing a particular technique, we would break up into groups at each of the four baskets and run drills.

Bzomowski was an affable, energetic leader, throwing out good-natured quips at the staff. When demonstrating post position, with Mackey playing defense, he began by saying, "Let's imagine that Brian is a really good defensive player...." He also declared that the taciturn Eisley would later give a lecture on trash-talking.

By Sunday morning our legs were weary, but our game had improved. Callahan may not have been able to master the Hardaway crossover, but during a shooting session she was nailing baseline jumpers with perfect BEEF (balance, eyes, elbow, follow-through) technique.

At the very end of the camp, when we divided into teams and played games, I got my reward: I faked my man all the way to the Appalachian Trail, then tossed in a jumper that was all net. We were making V-cuts to set up in the low post and screening away to free a teammate for a jumper at the free throw line. That ragged Friday-night pickup game seemed light-years away.

At the final meeting, at noon on Sunday, Bzomowski handed out awards. (Callahan, predictably, won Most Improved.) When he asked if there were any questions, one camper inquired, "Is it too late to buy a T-shirt?"

"Thanks for the setup," Bzomowski said. "As we all know by now, it's never too late."