Butler guard has been willing to share his experience on choosing a college with the high school campers at the LeBron James Skills Academy.
A trip to the NCAA championship game was a thrill for Butler's Shelvin Mack, but the Bulldogs' guard says his happiness with the school goes beyond just wins and tournament berths.AKRON, Ohio -- Butler guard Shelvin Mack could have gone to play in the SEC, going against the likes of Alabama, LSU and Tennessee for his hometown Kentucky Wildcats. However, the Bulldogs fit the way he wanted to play, and the school fit his profile for getting a college education.
Four years later, Mack has no regrets. He has been willing to share his experience with the high school campers at the LeBron James Skills Academy who are in the process of making a decision of their own.
"It was a great decision," said the guard who helped lead the Bulldogs to the championship game of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
"A lot of kids get caught up in the hype, the name of the schools and all that. But I was looking at who was graduating, who they were recruiting, and who was coming in. Going to Butler, I knew they were graduating [two starters]. I knew I could come in and have an opportunity to play as a freshman.
"I played 30 minutes a game as a freshman, which is hard to do these days. Also, I looked at their system. The point guards get a pick every play. It's set up for guards to make plays. That fit my game perfectly."
Mack acknowledged that not many players look closely at team's systems when being recruited. They can tell if a team plays fast or slow, inside or outside, but beyond that, few know much about the system they are considering.
"I don't think people look at that like they should," Mack said. "They look at the numbers on TV, and the style, but not really the system. A couple of high school kids here asked me about [making a college decision]. I told them to watch as much film as they can to see if their style fits."
Mack also said to pay close attention to not just the majors being offered, but the classes.
"I'm taking summer classes now, and there are six people in my class," he said. "I've talked to some of the players here, and they're taking classes with 300 people. I had a class earlier this year with 80 people, and it was hard for me to stay focused in classes like that. I think having one-on-one time with the professors made Butler a great fit for me."
Duke's Kyle Singler doesn't rest on the laurels of an NCAA title and has been a regular participant in the James Skills Academy.No coasting during summer: Of all the college athletes at the camp, the one with arguably the least to prove was Duke's Kyle Singler. He could have been a NBA lottery pick this year had he chosen to leave school. But he returned for his senior season.
After a long regular season, and with another on the horizon to defend Duke's national title, one couldn't begrudge Singler a summer on the beach. Instead, he was sweating bullets in Rhodes Arena.
"I've been here every year since I was a freshman in college," he said. "I love it. Every time I come I have learned something new.
"I was home for a while in May. Those [beach] things sound nice, but so does basketball to me, and to a lot of these other guys. This is one of the things we enjoy doing. It shows how much we love the game."
All day hoops: The King City Classic begins Thursday at Cleveland State's Wolstein Center. The high school players at the Akron camp move to CSU for games witnessed by college coaches from around the country. Game times are 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Admission is $5.
This n' that: St. Vincent-St. Mary forward JaKarr Sampson said the correct spelling of his first name is with a capital 'K.'
If the talent level appears a bit thin this year, it is. Six of the top seven players on both Rivals.com Top 100 and Scouthoops.com Top 100 are not here.