by Alex Schwartz

On Saturday I was able to get out to Philadelphia for about three hours of the St. Joseph's Elite Camp. Here's a short rundown of some of went on while I was there and also some of the prime ballers participating:

When I arrived, the players were in a lecture that was being given by former St. Joe's and Siena coach, John Griffin. A major focus of his talk was on the importance of finding the right school, how vital academia is, and the fact that basketball does not last forever. Although I did not get to catch all of it, I was impressed by Coach Griffin and what he had to say.

The players then had a break for lunch, but many of them ate quickly and then shot around, which was nice to see. They then did shooting drills after being split into three groups (point guards, wings, and bigs). The three SJU assistants ran the drills, with Geoff Arnold taking the PGs, Mark Bass working with the wings, and David Duda instructing the bigs. Head Coach Phil Martelli was also there to offer advice to the kids, and he did so. They players definitely put forth a good effort and worked hard, which was another thing that was nice to see.

After the shooting work, the players went to do a variety of different things, including weight lifting. Ballers also met with a nutritionist and saw Alumni Hall. I did not see the lifting, but one player told me that it was tough, so the guys were not being babied.

Here's a list of some of most highly regarded players—they are order alphabetically by last name by class—who were in attendance for at least part of the day on Saturday:

CJ Aiken '10, Plymouth-Whitemarsh (PA)
Kazembe Abif '10, University (NJ)
Joel Brokenborough '10, unknown
Langston Galloway '10, Christian Life Academy (LA)
DJ Irving '10, Archbishop Carroll (PA)
Aaron Brown '11, Penn Wood (PA)
Keith Coleman '11, Cheltenham (PA)
Desmond Hubert '11, New Egypt (NJ)
Khalid Lewis El '11, Trenton Catholic (NJ)
Maurice Nelson '11, Chester (PA)
Sean Oakman '11, Penn Wood (PA)
Jarrelle Reischel '11, Pt. Pleasant Beach (NJ)
Andre Horne '12, Roman Catholic (PA)
Amile Jefferson '12, Friends Central (PA)

The St. Joseph's Elite Camp was a very good event, with a lot of talent!