There was a 12-hour day ahead, but when Jamelle McMillan walked into a Long Beach, Calif., gym last summer, one player was already drenched in sweat at 8 a.m., getting in a full-scale workout. A New Orleans player development coach, McMillan quickly realized that then-Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield was in the midst of a two-hour individual session, despite the fact that the Adidas Nations camp ran daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“That was impressive,” said McMillan, who coached Hield’s team at the camp, attended by numerous elite college players each year. “Most kids treat it like it’s (a leisurely summer) camp.