By
NICK WILLIAMS
| The Tampa Tribune
Published: June 14, 2011
Updated: June 15, 2011 - 3:00 AM
Michael Frazier's dream is to someday make it to the NBA.
Starting today, he'll learn from current and former pro players, trainers and counselors about how he can make it come true.
Frazier, a rising senior at Plant, is one of 100 prep male basketball players around the country to be invited to the 18th annual NBA Players' Association Top 100 High School Camp today through Saturday at the University of Virginia. The camp will feature the top juniors and seniors in the country and aims to prepare today's top talents for life on and off the basketball court, educating them on topics such as stress management and recruiting. The players will also participate in various drills and scrimmages.
"I'm very excited," Frazier said. "It's a great opportunity to show my skills. I want to learn as much as I can."
Frazier is ranked by several recruiting sites as one of the top 50 prospects in the Class of 2012 and is ranked as high as No. 37 by Scout.com. Prior to his junior season, Frazier verbally committed to the University of Florida.
Some of the pro athletes scheduled to attend include Dallas Mavericks guard Caron Butler, former South Florida and NBA guard Chucky Atkins, Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton and former Brandon High forward Stephen Graham, who went on to star at Central Florida and Oklahoma State before entering the NBA as an undrafted free agent. He now plays for the New Jersey Nets while his twin brother, Joey Graham, who also graduated from Brandon, plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"It's potentially a life- and career-changing opportunity," said 19-year camp director Tim McCormick. "Each of these players is the big fish in their little pond. When they have dreams of playing in college and the NBA, there are so many road blocks. There is such a need to be prepared for the future. Basketball is the easiest part."
"One of the messages I'll share with them is if they think they're on path to make it to the NBA, it's a huge disadvantage. If you expect success, you kind of relax. There are thousands who didn't get invited, and they're extremely hungry."
Frazier ranks 17th all-time in Hillsborough County history with 1, 902 points and is projected to break the all-time county scoring record of 2,540 career points, set by Plant City's Russell Evans in 1991. Frazier finished this past season with 832 points, marking the second straight season he led the county in scoring.
McCormick has worked with current NBA stars Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant at the camp. He said they all had the same things in common.
"I would say 100 players in the league have come to our camp. We see what works and what doesn't," he said. "Three things translate to next level: Extreme effort, competitiveness, and the last one is professionalism ? understanding they are more than just basketball players."
"If I get an opportunity to go to (the NBA), I mean, that's what I'm working for today," Frazier said.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tbo/preps/~3/7xS6dkceuD4/
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