JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Jul 22, 2001

TEANECK, N.J. On the morning of July 8, the guests in Room 211 of the Hasbrouck Heights Hilton woke at 6 o'clock.

"Unfortunately," Vernon Hamilton said with a grimace nearly 17 hours later.

Had they read their schedule more carefully before turning in, Hamilton and his roommate might have realized a 7 o'clock wake-up call would leave ample time for breakfast.

"We were too anxious," Brad Byerson said, smiling.

If Hamilton and Byerson weren't thinking as clearly as usual, that's understandable. The rising 11th-graders, who starred last season for Thomas Dale High in Chester, Va., were about to embark on perhaps the most important stretch of their young basketball careers.

For four days, each performed in front of critics who might one day offer him a free college education. Their stage was Fairleigh Dickinson University's Rothman Center, home of the adidas ABCD camp. In the stands, on three sides of the courts, sat the critics: head coaches and assistants from virtually every Division I college.

The coaches weren't allowed to talk to campers, who were confined to one side of the gym when they weren't playing. Rest assured, though, the players weren't oblivious to their presence. The faces they'd seen on ESPN, the coaches they'd heard Dick Vitale scream about, now were a few feet away, watching them.

By the time the final all-star game ended late July 11, coaches who'd stopped by ABCD included Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Kansas' Roy Williams, North Carolina's Matt Doherty, Kentucky's Tubby Smith, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Virginia Tech's Ricky Stokes and Virginia's Pete Gillen. And hundreds more. NBA scouts turned out in force, too.

ABCD stands for "academic betterment and career development," but make no mistake: This camp is about basketball, not books. About 230 high school standouts from the United States and abroad accepted invitations to ABCD - among them 7-1, 270-pound Zhengdong Tang of China - and each had something to prove.

Many of the rising seniors already had scholarship offers from Division I programs but wanted to attract more interest. Rising juniors such as Hamilton and Byerson, meanwhile, knew that a strong performance at ABCD might earn them an early offer.

An invitation to ABCD - or to its counterpart, the Nike All-America camp held July 6-10 in Indianapolis - is no guarantee of future success. But it puts young players on a path followed by many of the sport's biggest names. ABCD alumni, for example, include Kobe Bryant, Kwame Brown, Kenyon Martin, Troy Murphy, Paul Pierce and Tracy McGrady.

"This is serious," said Hamilton's father, Vernon.

. . .

Sixteen-year-olds Hamilton and Byerson have been teammates since they were seventh-graders at Carver Middle School. They made Dale's varsity as freshmen in 1999-2000 and as sophomores helped the Knights capture their first Central Region title.

Barring a serious injury or some other unforeseen turn of events, each is a lock to earn a Division I scholarship. They're bright and well-spoken with more going for them than athletic ability.

"I've never had the interest [from colleges] that they are getting since I've been coaching," said Dale's Eddie Goss, a high school coach for 31 years.

A 6-0, 175-pound point guard, Hamilton averaged 15 points, 4 assists, 4 steals and 4 rebounds and made the All-Metro third team in 2000-01. The 6-8, 225-pound Byerson, who made the All-Metro first team, averaged 15 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.

They're AAU teammates too, playing for Tony Squire's Richmond-based program. Adidas sponsors Squire's program, and his connections with the company helped six of his players get invited to ABCD: Byerson, Hamilton, Shawn Harris, Marcus Sikes, Jaaron Greene and Joe Posey.

Harris, who's headed for Fork Union Military Academy, is a recent graduate of Matoaca High. The other five, however, are underclassmen, and Squire worried that they underestimated the level of competition they'd encounter at ABCD.

He advised them repeatedly to run at least 8 miles and take at least 3,000 shots each week. But teen-agers will be teen-agers, and Squire wasn't sure they took him seriously.

"Seeing is believing," he said.

. . .

Squire and his associate Reggie "Mac" McFarland drove their six players from Virginia to Jersey in a rented van. They arrived the afternoon of July 7, registered and checked in to their hotel rooms. Campers were split into 22 teams - each a mix of rising seniors and underclassmen - that practiced briefly that night.

Players were responsible for their travel costs to and from ABCD, but adidas covered the campers' room and board. It also presented each player with a pile of gear: one uniform (blue-and-gold reversible shorts and jersey), two pairs of shoes, two polo shirts, socks and casual shorts.

Unfortunately for the players, the NCAA didn't allow them to accept the loot as gifts. But that doesn't mean they had to leave town empty-handed. Players had two options at the end of camp: turn the gear back in or purchase it for $100. Both Byerson and Hamilton chose for the latter.

As the start of competition neared, however, their minds were on basketball, not three-striped apparel.

"I'm looking forward to seeing where I stand against kids from other parts of the country," Hamilton said.

As a 15-year-old last July, Hamilton played on Squire's 17-and-under team in a Las Vegas tournament that hundreds of college coaches scouted. Byerson isn't as well-known. He didn't play much AAU ball this spring, and for him, the adidas camp will represent his first national exposure.

"All I want to do is come out here and show college coaches what I can do," Byerson said.

Was he nervous about auditioning for Coach K and the rest?

"Not at all," Byerson said. "I'm very confident. If I just play my game and keep my head, I'll be straight."

. . .

One ball is not enough. That quickly became apparent when the games began July 8. Coaches filled the stands, and their presence seemed to bring out the worst in many eager-to-impress players, remarkable athletes who apparently forgot they were playing five-on-five.

The me-first attitude was contagious. Players who ordinarily would have passed the ball without a second thought now realized that once it was gone, it probably wasn't coming back. At one point during the week, Hamilton led all underclassmen with a modest 3-assists-per-game average.

"You got to change your philosophy in a hurry," Squire said. "When you play high school and [AAU] ball, it's about the team. Here, you almost have to be selfish, or you can get overlooked."

Mornings found the players in classroom settings, where subjects included SAT preparation and NCAA recruiting rules and regulations. After lunch, they heard guest speakers before taking chartered buses to the Rothman Center.

Each team played one game in the afternoon and one in the evening. Each player generally played two quarters per game. With three or four games running simultaneously - the Rothman Center was divided into four courts - it was never quiet inside the air-conditioned gym, but only the most spectacular plays drew applause from spectators. The college coaches scribbled notes on team rosters and chatted with each other.

Hamilton was assigned to the Jazz and Byerson to the Magic. Their teams met in the opening session July 8, but Hamilton played the first and third quarters and Byerson the second and fourth, so they were never on the court at the same time.

The Jazz won 74-64, and Hamilton contributed a team-high 12 points, four assists and four rebounds. Running the offense, he didn't have to worry about not getting the ball, and he fired 13 shots, making five.

"It's good to be a point guard," Hamilton said.

Byerson, playing power forward next to 6-11, 245-pound center Sani Ibrahim, was more of a spectator on offense. He took only two shots - making one, a 3-pointer - but also had three blocked shots, three rebounds, two steals and two assists.

"I could have done better," Byerson said.

. . .

Like Hamilton's father, Dana Byerson made the trip north to see his son play. Both men have relatives in New York City. The elder Hamilton stayed with his father in Manhattan, the elder Byerson with his brother in the Bronx.

The fathers showed up at the Rothman Center each day, and they weren't alone. In addition to the college coaches, there were camp counselors, AAU coaches, fans, relatives of players, newspaper reporters, photographers and TV cameramen.

There were also the recruiting gurus. Analysts abounded at ABCD, and most rushed to file Internet reports each night. New York-based Tom Konchalski was an exception, a serene presence in this frenzied scene. Konchalski is low-tech, but college coaches trust his judgment more than that of many of his peers.

Asked July 9 about Hamilton and Byerson, Konchalski said, "I like both of them. Vern Hamilton's a very strong guard who did a good job of running the team. He's a real point guard. What he's got to do, he's got to improve his outside shot. That's the gap in his game. But I like his strength and his poise."

Of Byerson, Konchalski said, "I was very impressed with him. He runs the floor extremely well, and he's a good mid-range shooter right now. He has good hands and a very good touch."

An assistant coach in one of the nation's elite conferences echoed Konchalski's comments.

"Byerson is better than expected," said the assistant, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "With a year's growth, he can play at the highest level."

Hamilton, the assistant said, has "the ability and quickness to handle the basketball. He's just got to have more balance in the game. He has to refine his jump shot to the point that it's a weapon."

The assistant concluded: "I'd say right now Byerson is an ACC-level recruit. With Vern, I'd say he's probably A-10 right now and probably an ACC watch. That's not to say he couldn't grow into an ACC player."

. . .

The players fell into a routine at camp: breakfast, academic session, lunch, guest speaker, afternoon game, dinner, evening game, video games, snacks and conversation in the players' lounge, lights out.

The lights of New York City beckoned, but players weren't allowed to leave their hotel at night.

"I want to go out and see the city, but I can't," Byerson said. "I just have to stay in the room."

If that arrangement didn't thrill the players, the proceedings at the Rothman Center weren't altogether satisfying either. Each team played eight games, and though Hamilton and Byerson occasionally sparkled, they struggled at times, too.

Hamilton's quickness and ability to penetrate made him difficult to defend, but inconsistent shooting plagued him throughout the camp. In his games with the Jazz, he made only 26 of 74 field-goal attempts - 35.1 percent. Hamilton was 1 for 10 from beyond the arc.

"My ballhandling, I pretty much have that down, and the capability of driving to the basket," he said. "Now it's up to my jump shot to make my game complete."

Hamilton averaged 7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 rebounds. Byerson shot 33.3 percent from the floor and averaged 4.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals. He's a graceful player with an accurate 3-point shot, but his teammates seemed to have agendas that didn't include getting the ball to Byerson.

After one particularly frustrating game, Byerson was asked what kind of day he'd had.

"A not-getting-the-ball day," he said. "The team just won't pass the ball."

Still, Byerson's potential was apparent. He's fundamentally sound, has excellent form on his jump shot and handles the ball well for a player of his size.

"I think this camp, for him to be here as an underclassman, is going to help his development tremendously," said Magic coach Mark Adams, a high school coach in Florida.

"He's a very, very well-rounded and solid player. Now, next year when he comes back here, he'll be doing the same things the older guys are doing to him. But he's held his own."

. . .

On the final morning of camp, the rosters for that night's all-star games were announced. Hamilton was one of 20 players selected for the underclassmen's game, in which he would score two points. Byerson wasn't chosen, but he wasn't heartbroken.

"Nah, this is my first year here," Byerson said. "I'd be disappointed if I didn't get it next year, because I'll already know what to expect."

After packing up at the Hilton, Squire's group left July 12 for another adidas event, a tournament in Long Island, N.Y. They finally made it home July 14.

"It was great," Hamilton said, "being able to play in front of that many coaches."

Byerson said: "I'm glad I did it. Now I know what I have to work on. I have to be more offensive-minded instead of being so passive."

Hamilton plans to shoot jump shots "all the time." And, like Byerson, he plans to return to ABCD next summer.

"Definitely," Hamilton said. "It was a learning experience."