Former NBA standout featured at Mat-Su youth basketball camp

WASILLA - It was Pat Floyd's vision to create an affordable basketball camp that offered quality instruction - important criteria to the longtime coach.

Floyd was able to create a camp that satisfied both requirements.

The result was a week long basketball clinic, that proved to be fairly inexpensive, despite the fact it included the coaching of former Dallas Mavericks standout Brad Davis.

The cost of the youth hoops camp sponsored by the Mat-Su Youth Athletic Council was only $75, a cost remarkably cheap, compared to the fees of some athletic camps offered today. Floyd said that final price could be attributed to two factors. First, MYAC received great support from the community, and it didn't take much to lure the 15-year veteran of the NBA to the Valley.

More than 150 players from the elementary, middle school and high school levels attended the five-day camp that featured the former NBA player.

Davis, the first player in the history of the Dallas franchise to have his jersey retired, already had connections to Alaska. In 1979 he was a member of the Anchorage Northern Knights franchise that won the Continental Basketball Association title. Davis' wife Kelly also grew up in Anchorage.

Eric Troisi, a local youth hockey coach and physical education teacher at Cottonwood Creek Elementary, and his wife Kim are friends of the Davis family, and put Floyd in contact with the former NBA player.

Floyd said a few months ago he was talking to Kim Troisi at a volleyball game and she mentioned she was going to visit her childhood friend, who happens to be married to a former NBA player - Brad Davis.

&#8220I thought, wow, this guy was one of my heroes growing up,” Floyd said. &#8220He played in Anchorage, and then I followed him (in Dallas) playing against guys like Magic (Johnson) and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar).”

Floyd thought it would be great to have someone the caliber of Davis to come to the Valley for a camp. The Troisis asked if Davis was interested, and he was.

&#8220Kim and Eric were the connection,” Floyd said.

Once Davis agreed to coach at the camp, Floyd said, businesses such as MTA came though with significant donations. Grand View Inn and Suites and Colony Inn Cafe also helped out.

Plus, Davis didn't demand the outrageous fees some former pros do. He said he couldn't have done this otherwise.

The late-June dates for the camp also proved to be perfect timing.

&#8220When Pat set this up, we were just starting our season in Dallas,” said Davis, who is now a player development coach and radio analyst for the Mavericks. &#8220When I looked at the schedule I said if we make it to the final game of the NBA finals, we'll be done on the 22nd. So lets set it up for the 24th. I never dreamed I'd come that close.”

Dallas did advance to the NBA finals, falling to the Miami Heat in the championship series.

&#8220We got back from Miami on Monday, lost Tuesday, had our final meeting Thursday and jumped on a plane to come up here Saturday,” Davis said.

Davis has been back to the state a few times since his days with the Northern Knights, and said he sees that basketball has certainly evolved in the 49th state.

&#8220You look at this camp right here - if you closed your eyes and somebody dropped you in here, you wouldn't know if you were in Dallas or Wasilla, Alaska,” Davis said. &#8220These kids are talented kids.”

Davis and the Northern Knights played their home games at West High School. This well before Sullivan Arena opened its doors. Anchorage was one of only two CBA teams on the West Coast. The other was in Hawaii. Davis said the Knights would play three-game series' against each team.

&#8220Teams from the East would come out and play us three games in four nights,” Davis said. &#8220Then we went back East for a month. We'd play three games in one city, and bus to another city.”

Following his stint in Anchorage, Davis was signed by the then expansion Dallas Mavericks. Originally a first-round pick out of the University of Maryland-College Park by the Los Angeles Lakes, Dallas would be his final stop in the NBA. Since retiring in 1992, Davis has continued to work within the Mavericks franchise.

He stays very active in the summer with his basketball camps. Davis said all of his camps are based on the teaching of fundamentals.

&#8220A lot of fundamental stuff. And we do it everyday, and everyday, and everyday,” Davis said.

Davis sets up eight stations, with each station focusing on a particular fundamentals.

&#8220It gives each of the kids a chance to come through. A lot of time when you do games all the time the better kids handle the ball, and the kids who aren't as good get frozen out and all they do is run up and down the court,” Davis said.

Davis runs players through the stations and organizes 3-on-3 situations where everyone gets the ball. On the final day of the camp, there are 5-on-5 games.

Davis said what players learn in these camps can be easily taken beyond the week-long clinic.

&#8220No matter where I do the camps, I tell (the players) you're not going to be better by coming to this camp for a week. You've got to take what you've learned from the coaches at the different stations, and you've got to practice year-round,” Davis said. &#8220That way next summer, by the time you come back, you're going to be better. If you just come here for a week, and put all these drills aside and don't do anything until next year, you're going to be the same player, if not worse that you were this year.”

Davis also credited the group of coaches Floyd put together for the Valley camp.

&#8220We spent a lot of time with the stations, and we had eight good coaches running them,” Davis said.

The camp staff included former Colony High School girls basketball standout Kristina Klapperich, recent Palmer graduates Trent Berberich and Cole Jacobson, Palmer Junior Middle School coach Dorothy Jacobson, MYAC coach Brendan McMahon and Kodiak assistant coach Brett Larson. Davis' wife and two children also helped run the

camp.

In addition to his time at the camp, hosted at Teeland Middle School, Davis said he was able to hit the Valley golf courses a few times. An avid golfer, Davis played at both Palmer Golf Course and Settlers

Bay.

Floyd said this is the first basketball camp hosted by MYAC, and hopes the youth organization can make the hoops clinic and annual event.

&#8220I'd love to see this continue,” Floyd said.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.