The absence of summer basketball workouts last year left a great hole in many prep programs across the state to make up for in the winter. But with COVID-19 restrictions loosening, large gatherings have been able to take place, and Impact Sports has taken advantage by hosting their second camp in as many weeks.

More than 200 of the best boys basketball players from teams from Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi attended the camp ranging from Monday through Wednesday this week. COVID-19 called for the cancellation of the 2020 Impact basketball camp, so getting some scrimmages going in 2021 was an extremely welcome sight.

“It’s so much better, because right now last year we’re sitting at home,” said newly hired Starkville Academy head coach Andrew Howell on getting summer work in this summer. “It’s not only better physically, but it’s better mentally for these guys to be around each other and they get to be around me. It’s just so much better because (this time) last year, we didn’t know if we were going to get to play or not.”

Howell, who had been to the camp when he was the head man at Oak Hill, said it was a good opportunity to get to know his team and really see them in in-game action for the very first time. Howell said Billy Thomas, who runs the Impact camp, extended an invitation late last week and he jumped at the chance to see his team compete against strong competition. 

“It was an opportunity for us to break the monotony of practice and play somebody else and let our guys get after it,” Howell said. “It gives these guys an opportunity to see some live action, especially the incoming sophomores, and just see how we gel and see what we like as far as rotations.” 

Howell said that since it’s so early in June, he just wants to see his guys play hard and see if any of his players step up and be leaders before the season starts. Getting to see players in action, especially the underclassmen, this early in the offseason is a gamechanger, and it’s a big part of why coaches and teams like Impact camps and continue to come back. 

“You get behind if you don’t do stuff in the summer, because everybody else is doing their stuff,” said Heritage Academy senior point guard Drew Huskinson. “Coming to camps definitely helps just so you’re not sitting on your butt all summer doing nothing.” 

Huskinson joined his teammates Whit Altmyer and Luke Fisher on the All-Camp team, the top performers in the camp which is voted on by all the head coaches at camp. Other local athletes that made the All-Camp team included Starkville Academy’s Jarius Jordan and Reese Jackson, as well as Columbus Christian’s Joe Edwards. 

Thomas was extremely thankful and excited that the boys camp and the girls camp last week could happen, albeit in a smaller capacity. Regardless of the smaller than usual size, the camp was still an excellent opportunity for teams to really just come together, see what their team will look like, have fun and really work as a team.

Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.