NOTE:Jason Drake has attended several Purdue basketball camps and recently wrote about his experiences at camp this summer. We encouraged you to write in with any question you may have had about Jason or the camp. Here's some of the responses to the many questions received...
Q: Great job on the story about the Purdue camp. Sounds like you had a great time.
Did you find yourself tired after the many drills and scrimmages? What was the
highlight of the entire camp experience? Were there many current or former Purdue
players assisting with the camp? I'm glad you had a opportunity to go and also share
about your experiences. I look forward to hearing more about the program. Go Boilers!!
-- PG, Purdue, HU '68
A: Hi Pastor Bill...Yeah, I was pretty tired after the drills
but they gave us some time to rest and catch our breath. The best part was getting to
spend the night for the first time. There were a few former players at this one and a
couple of current ones like Brian Cardinal and John Allison and B. J. Carretta.
Q: I was curious if you won any awards that were handed out at the
end of the week? Do you have an idea what percentage of the kids get an award? -- JB
A: I won a team award for being in the top 5 for the shooting
carnival and was named to the all camp team. There were about 100 kids there and they
handed out 3 different awards for team play and 4 awards for each age group, so it
depended on how you did by yourself and what team you were on. There was also "Mr. Hustle",
"Most Improved" and "Best Attitude". You could get more than one, so some kids got a
couple and other didn't get anything.
Q: I like to play basketball, but I'm not on my [school's] team or
anything. I would like to go to a Gene Keady camp. Would I have any fun since I am not a very
good player? Would it be a waste of money for me to go? -- JG
A: You'd have a great time! It would also teach you drills and
things you could practice on your own to give you a better chance to make a team.
Q: Can you explain what a "Mikan layup" is? Was this a typo in the
article, or is it a special kind of layup? Also, I understand the Foster kid used to play
for Purdue. What kind of individual routines did he teach you guys? Thanks! -- I in Michigan
A: A "Mikan" lay-up is where you start on one side of the
basket and make a lay-up with whatever side (hand) you started on, get your rebound,
and then run fast to the other side and try to make a lay-up with the other hand,
then run back to the first side, and so on. They count how many you make in 30 seconds.
Foster taught us simple dribbling drills and "form" shooting, like the correct form
you should be using to shoot. He didn't smile a lot--very serious!
Q: It was nice to see a picture of Zo Martin again. What did you
think of him? Did you get to talk to him much, or did he gets to talk to the campers much?
In your opinion, would he make a good assistant coach at Purdue? -- MG in Bloomington
A: He was only there for the pictures and then taught us some fun
shooting drills. He seemed like a really nice guy but he didn't talk much. He'd make
a good coach because he's played a lot of basketball and he's pretty calm.
Q: How did you first get interested in attending Purdue camps and
what keeps you coming back year after year? I found it funny you said that it was fun to act
like you were in college, but didn't have to worry about going to classes. Frankly, some of
our current players think that way too. Think a little about this question. What do you
think the Purdue players and coaches who attended the came learned from YOU guys during the
camp? Tough question, I know. -- S in West Lafayette
A: My Mom went to Purdue and got me started in going to the
camps and I keep going back because they're fun and they help me play better. Maybe
the coaches see how much fun we have and remember that having fun is part of playing
basketball.
Q: You mentioned seeing Cuonzo and Foster during the camp. Can you name some of the
other players that stopped by? -- Anon
A: John Allison and Brian Cardinal and B.J. Carretta. I saw Mike
Robinson but he wasn't at the camp really. There was another guy that shot baskets with
Cuonzo but I don't remember his name.
Q: Jason...Write back and tell me what "speedball" is? Anon
A: Speedball is a 3 on 3 on 3 fast break game where a team starts
in the middle of the court and they go towards a basket where there's two defenders. When
they get past midcourt, the third player on the second team runs onto the court to the
middle of the halfcourt and then starts to play defense. After the rebound, the defensive
team runs down to the other end where the third team is waiting on defense. After that,
the third team comes down to play offense where the original team is waiting on defense.
Q: The coaches told you stories about other players who had worked
hard to make the team and how hard work pays off. Was there one story that was of the most
interest to you? Who gave that lecture? If it was a coach, who was it and who did they say
they were the most impressed with (as far as a former player who worked hardest to improve
their game)? -- BGH
A: The only name I really remember is when they talked about how
Michael Jordan got cut and then worked hard and came back and made the team and everybody
knows what happened to him!
Responses made by Jason Drake
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