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M/SUNNY Temp: 66 °F Wind: N at 3 mph Monday, August 5, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend July 20, 2002 University of Oregon basketball standout Luke Ridnour sits with campers during Friday�s Focus Basketball Camp at South Medford High. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Campers at heart Oregon basketball stars Luke Ridnour and Luke Jackson feel right at home at the Focus Basketball Camp By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune He may possess an uncanny knack for making things happen in a crowd, but picking out Luke Ridnour in a packed gym isn’t as easy as it sounds. Ridnour, one of the premier point guards in college basketball, and five University of Oregon teammates were on hand for Friday’s final sessions of the Focus Basketball Camp at South Medford High School. Yet as camp director Josh Jamieson delivered instructions to a horde of seated fourth- through seventh-graders, Ridnour, sprawled across the floor among the kids, was as anonymous as a Hedrick Middle School student. Turns out the difference between a first-team all-conference star fresh off leading the Ducks to their first Pac-10 title — and, of course, an Elite Eight berth in the NCAA Tournament —and a 12-year-old learning to shoot lay-ups with his left hand isn’t as discernible as imagined. "Blends in, doesn’t he?" laughed Jamieson, a 1996 South alumnus who has been a graduate assistant with Oregon for two years and wrapped up the sixth edition of his Focus Camp on Friday. Talking to Ridnour and fellow all-Pac-10 standout Luke Jackson — the "Cool-hand Lukes" of CBS’ NCAA-coverage fame — reveals they don’t feel too far removed, themselves, from the hoops camps of their youths. "Doesn’t seem like it was that long ago when I was young, doing stuff like this," said Jackson, 20, a 6-foot-7 small forward from Creswell who more than doubled his freshman scoring average to 16.7 points per game last season. "I don’t feel like I’m that much older than these guys. ... I know I would have really enjoyed it if some of the Duck guys would have come down and visited some of the small camps I went to, so I like to just hang out with the kids and have a good time." For their time, Jamieson is making sure Ridnour, Jackson and teammates Matt Short, Jay Anderson, Adam Zahn and Tyler York, a walk-on who just graduated from Grants Pass High, have fun in the Rogue Valley. In fact, Ridnour and Anderson so enjoyed their visit when they helped out at the camp last summer that some of the Ducks showed up at Jamieson’s Medford house last weekend, for no other purpose than to hang out. "No other motivation because they weren’t staying for Monday’s start of the camp," Jamieson said. Jamieson took his Oregon contingent to Applegate Lake last weekend, the Jackson County Fair on Thursday night and has plans for rafting on the upper Rogue River today. It all amounts to a nice rest away from rigorous summer workouts in Eugene for the Duck players, in addition to a chance to help out Jamieson, whom Jackson said routinely "does us a lot of favors." "We don’t get anything out of this," said the 6-2 Ridnour, 21, who scored 15.5 points and dished five assists per game last season and lives with Jackson, Anderson and Short in Eugene. "It’s fun just to get a chance to work the little guys and get a break." Ridnour, a McDonald’s and Parade All-American as a prep before being named the Pac-10 freshman of the year his first season at Oregon, grew up as the son of a high school basketball coach in Blaine, Wash. A history of helping out at his father’s camps was evident Friday as he encouraged and playfully joked with the participants. "He just loves being with kids," Jamieson said. "I was helping out with a young team up in the Eugene area this year, and he’d manage to come by and do all kinds of things." Local kids such as Mychal DeSoto definitely enjoyed the chance to run the weave and trade passes with Ducks. "It’s pretty cool seeing them here after always watching them on TV," said the 10-year-old, who will be a fifth-grader at Lone Pine Elementary this fall. With 98 kids turning out between the morning, fourth-to-seventh-grade sessions and the afternoon, eighth-to-12th-grade practices, Jamieson said this year’s weeklong camp was bigger than ever before. Former South Medford stars Ryan Heil, Eric Fiegi, James Wightman and Adam Decker and Panthers junior-to-be Ryan Fiegi helped Jamieson as counselors all week. And with a visit from Oregon stars on the final day, the Focus festivities went out with a bang for A.J. Palazzolo and his fellow campers. "It’s been a lot of fun," said the 12-year-old, set to be a seventh grade at McLoughlin Middle School. "It really helps you with your basketball skills and gives you some inspiration. "Especially seeing (the Ducks) go to the Elite Eight, you see them on TV, and they’re here now at South Medford High School, so it’s kind of a cool feeling." Especially when they’re as comfortable in the company of 12 year olds as they are working the Pit Crew into a frenzy during another win at McArthur Court. Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S