News and Notes From Eastern Invitational
by Ray Floriani
EWING, N.J. – Long before there was an ABCD, Rbk U or LeBron James Skills Academy, you had Eastern Invitational. Today, the Eastern Invitational camp is still going strong. It is run by the Hoop Group and directed by coaches Lamar Barrett and Mike Farrelly. Based on the campus of the College of New Jersey, just outside of Trenton, the camp has several four-day sessions. The one the second week of July was of note because it was held during the “live” period allowing Division I coaches to evaluate.
I decided to take in the Saturday session and just staying about half a day proved to be a fast-paced endeavor.
12:00 – Arrived at CNJ (College of New Jersey) and after parking the first courts you come in contact with are the outdoor ones. Eight of them are in use for controlled scrimmages or games. The mercury is above 90 and this is an endurance test under the hot sun – for players and coaches alike.
12:30 – I head inside to the main center. There are four courts here, all in use and it is considerably cooler. The “controlled” scrimmages have coaches but no officials. Hoop Group President Rob Kennedy lamented how the players will not go all out in scrimmages but “save” it for the games. What I found about the scrimmages was play got very rough and without fouls players just got into bad habits, especially on the defensive end.
1:15 – A lecture is set. Before it starts attendance is taken by the respective camp coaches and counselors. Before the speaker is introduced Kennedy goes over some things with the approximately 750 players in attendance. He emphasizes going hard in scrimmages as well as games and being on time. Kennedy reminds the kids they are being watched by college coaches and simple things as being on time for games or lectures are vital.
Randy Ayers is giving the lecture. Ayers was a head coach with Ohio State, the Philadelphia 76ers and is introduced as a member of the Orlando Magic staff. Seated next to me is former Duquesne coach Danny Nee, who is doing NBA scouting these days. Nee has put in a long tenure in the college ranks and coaching in general. Still, he is taking notes, a further testament that the learning process, for those immersed in the game, never stops.
Ayers talks to the players about making adjustments. He goes on to say, “some of you are asked to play different positions in camp. You have to be ready because basketball is all about making adjustments.” He then starts utilizing campers for on court demonstrations. But the first thing he notes is stance, and how players actually get in a rebounding or defensive position and are not using a proper stance. Throughout his hour-plus lecture/demonstration, Ayers points out those little things that go a long way toward being a complete player.
2:40 – After the lecture, Hoopville Managing Editor Phil Kasiecki introduces me to Vermont head coach Mike Lonergan. A very personable type, Lonergan laments that he will spend the afternoon outside. He’s targeting several players who are on the outdoor courts. Duty calls, even if it means bearing a scorching mid-day sun.
Rae Miller, assistant at New Jersey power St. Patrick’s is helping out on hand. He stops to check in with Paris Bennett, a St. Pat’s 6’6″ junior forward who is in camp. Bennett spent a good part of last season recovering from mono. “That’s behind him,” Miller says. “We’re now working on getting him to play consistently.”
I meet with Rob Kennedy and ask if he needs officiating help. The gear is packed in my car. Since counselors and coaches are the only officials, he enthusiastically accepts my offer.
On court four we have a close contest. Two coaches were to work the game and I have each one alternate and work a quarter with me. One is a junior college coach from St. Louis who tells me, “(St. Louis U.) Coach (Rick) Majerus has taken the town by storm. Just wait till you see his recruits, and the fundraising and season tickets sales are coming in like you can’t imagine.” The other coach is a high school coach from North Carolina who says he’s worked this camp ten straight years.
As noted this was a close game. There is good size and athleticism on the floor. Unfortunately there is excessive whining. Not enough for a technical, but enough to irritate. The game comes down to the final minute and the score ends at 65-60.
Afterwards while talking with the coaches I worked with, who did a nice job, mention was made about the players almost forgetting they are being watched closely by the college coaches and evaluators. And while the talent may be there, coaches do not want a whiner who complains over virtually every call or non call.
In the second game, I worked with John Janovsky, the winning coach from the previous contest. Janovsky just joined Joe Lombardi’s staff at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He has quite a background, having walked on Ben Howland’s team at Pitt then serving as manager and student assistant under Howland and Jamie Dixon. When Lombardi was hired at IUP, he brought Janovsky on board.
We have another close game but one without complaining and moaning. During a time out I hear a couple college coaches beyond the baseline calling us. It’s Memphis head coach John Calipari and assistant Derek Kellogg. The coaching turnout is outstanding today, especially with Rbk U starting across the river in Philadelphia tomorrow. Janovsky does a nice job and after the game he’s on the move to another area. Time just did not permit a chance to discuss his Pitt days more.
4:40 – Finished officiating and spend time talking with a few college coaches. I didn’t get to zero in on a particular player or players, but spent time watching Zach Rosen while talking to new Harvard coach Tommy Amaker. I saw Rosen last year at ABCD and was impressed. He’s heading into his senior year at St. Benedict’s and is a guard, just about six feet tall. He’s a smart player, sees the floor well and rarely does anything to hurt his team. Amaker knew about Rosen, but watching him leaves him further impressed. Rosen has the grades and the Ivy League would be a good fit. Getting someone from Danny Hurley’s St. Benedict’s power would also be a coup.
Rob Kennedy points out player number 44. It’s Mike Auriemma, who will be attending the Hun School in New Jersey next year. If the name is familiar, you’re right: this is the son of UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma. Watching Mike’s stance on routine off-the-ball sequences, you can see he received a bit of good coaching at home as well.
5:15 – Just before heading out, I spoke with new St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt. He doesn’t speak a mile a minute or bury you with cliches, but Schmidt is supremely confident he will get the situation turned around at the Atlantic 10 school. “This is a place with a tradition,” Schmidt said of the school. “We are not starting over. There has been a tradition of winning there and we are bringing it back.”
Schmidt has immersed himself in Bonaventure tradition and said he plans to bring back the “coffin” for a game. That was a Seventies tradition where during warm-ups student pallbearers marched a wooden coffin onto the floor while the pep band played a funeral march. Out of the coffin would emerge a student dressed as the opposition mascot, who was then “tomahawked” by the (then mascot) brown Indian.
One memorable night the Bonnies hosted South Florida. It was January of 1972 and the mercury struggled to hit double digits. Out of the coffin came a coed dressed in a bikini throwing oranges into the crowd. The fans loved it. Schmidt is looking to create similar excitement and is certain the Bonnie fans will warm up to his program as well.
5:45 – The banner outside the outdoor courts simply reads “Instruction, Competition, Exposure”. It says it all about Eastern, a camp that has been a mandatory stop for coaches and players for years. While players want the last two items on the banner’s list, it is vital they take full advantage of the first.
