By: Jeff Borzello | MaxPreps.com
INDIANAPOLIS – After Nate Britt’s outstanding NBPA Top 100 camp performance in Virginia two weeks ago, buzz started to spread about Britt as the top point guard prospect in the class.
After Wednesday, Andrew Harrison took the title back in impressive fashion.
“You saw the game,” Harrison said afterwards. “Of course I [think I'm better].”
Day 1 of the 2001 adidas Nations China camp got off to a fantastic start with over 60 players performing in Dongguan at the beautiful new 8 court facility. Coach Li started the day with a spirited introduction as several dignitaries, coaches, and staff were introduced by adidas sports marketing liaison Marcus Kam.
The 63 players consisting of 48 men and 15 women, were then led through a warmup by Asia Red Development Team Coach and adidas global asset manager Chris Rivers. Rivers would later lead his team to victory in the most spirited battle of the day.
Following warmup, the players were then taken through a skill development session led by NBA coaches Alex English, Tony Brown and LaSalle Thompson. Players worked quickly and drilled hard before breaking into teams and competing in controlled scrimmages coached by CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) assigned coaches.
The highlight of the day for the Chinese players was definitely the presence of NBA star Jrue Holiday (Philadelphia 76ers). Not only did Jrue participate in the drill work and personal instruction, but he decided to join in the scrimmage and played most of the second half as his team made a valiant comeback but fell just short of the Rivers led squad.
The 2011 training camps are in the books! With some of the best competition we have seen to date, the 2011 training camps came to a close. With this being the last training camp of 2011, players and parents gathered around coaches and staff to discuss
what great times lay ahead at the adidas Nations Global Experience in August. With the July recruiting period just around the corner, players compared schedules and exchanged phone numbers so that they can stay in contact over the next month.
With the adidas Nations Global Experience around the corner, players performed to make a statement all weekend during the stations and scrimmages. From executing in drills, to playing tough physical defense, players were making an effort to stand out. The level of play on the final day was outstanding, as the teams worked to find the chemistry needed for success. The final games were well played and came down to the wire with the level of competition elevated. Day 2 began as all the other training camps at 6:30am with wake up call to eat breakfast and be on the court by 8am. Even though, the start was early, the players brought a high level of energy to the court and showed clear improvement from when the players first arrived in Chicago back in March.
“This was the most intense camp we have had to date. We wanted to give the kids a chance to compete against players they may not have had an opportunity to in the past. I am really proud of the energy they brought to the gym.” said Jeff Robbins – adidas Sports Marketing Manager – US Basketball.
