The final day of this year's annual Reebok Breakout Camp in Philadelphia, PA concluded on Friday evening with two games for the participants and the prestigious camp all-star game. The goal of many participants annually, like any camp, is to be selected for the camp's all-star game.
For campers from Arizona historically, just being invited to the camp has been enough. Very few prospects from the state have ever been selected for the all-star game at this camp. An invitation to the camp's all-star game does wonders for a student-athlete's opportunity to raise their overall college recruitment, national ranking and evaluation. Recently, Hamilton High School product and current Arizona State post Eric Jacobsen was selected, and also Casa Grande HS product Jonathan Milligan. Both prospects saw their college recruitment take off as a result, although Jacobsen had already committed to the Sun Devils and Milligan struggled to qualify academically.
This year's story of the camp was Sunnyslope High School's 6-foot-10 senior post Michael Humphrey. While many college coaches were baffled by just how much Humphrey's college recruitment took off in this year's camp, with some declaring that he was being overhyped, Humphrey proved just how good he had really played in this year's camp by being selected for the camp's all-star game, and also being selected by national scout Clark Francis (Hoop Scoop Online) as the #5 overall best player in the camp.
The very appreciative and humble Humphrey would compete in the game on Friday evening, amidst many of the nation's top prospects - creating a feeling of amazement at seeing this young man run the floor alongside elite national prospects as Rashad Vaughn and Emmanuel Mudiay. It couldn't happen to a better kid, is all I could think of while watching Humphrey take in all that the all-star appearance had to offer.
Humphrey would finish with 8 points in the all-star game - a game where the guards always flourish and the bigs look to rebound errant shots.
Also being selected for the all-star game was Westview's 6-foot-9 senior post Andre Adams. Adams' story in the all-star game was much different, as Adams, while being selected for the game, would not participate in the game after camp organizers had thought that he would not be available for the game due to an early flight back to Arizona. Adams changed his flight plans but forgot to notify the camp organizers, and so his spot on the team was given to someone else. Adams would watch the game on the night - cheering on his friend Michael Humphrey.
Both Michael Humphrey and Andre Adams represented Arizona well in this year's camp, and both student-athletes did it the right way for Reebok, as both prospects attended the Reebok tryout at Glendale Junior College in May and earned their spots at the camp. Neither prospects were automatic invites to this year's camp, but, at the end, both proved that they were worthy of the trip to Philly.
