Basketball camp is an annual tradition for youngsters at the University of Arizona. The 2018 edition of the Sean Miller Camp included its usual work on skills, teamwork and a whole lot of basketball. Campers were surprised with a litany of guest speakers, including an impressive trio of former Wildcats. T.J. McConnell, Gabe York and Stanley Johnson. The three professionals joined Coach Miller in important and inspirational messages for those in attendance.
 
"So much of improving your game as a player has to do with mastering the little things," said head coach Sean Miller on the first day of camp. "You will hear from some of our former players, who are playing professionally right now, and they will be the first ones to tell you how important details are. The small things like being a great teammate, working on the weaker parts of your game and eating and hydrating properly are all things they focus on as professionals."
 
An empowering message from the head coach at the University of Arizona can reach many youngsters. However, the reinforcement from guys who have played games on the McKale Center floor and beyond means a lot more. This is especially true when they are right in front of you, coaching you on hoops and life.
 
"Instilling a work ethic is something important to me and it started around your age," said Philadelphia 76er T.J. McConnell. "If you want to be good and be a Division I basketball player, you have to set goals for yourself. That's what I did."
 
McConnell's message is an important one for many reasons, if for none other then, he is perhaps the biggest underdog story in the NBA. The point guard laid out his unusual path to the NBA for everyone to see. Not selected in the NBA Draft, he signed a free agent deal with the 76ers for camp. He beat out six other players for the final point guard spot on the roster before the organization took another point guard in the NBA Draft. He saw the court sparingly in his first year and a half only to increase his playing time this year. His career arch reached a pinnacle when he got the start in the NBA playoffs and helped guide Philadelphia to a win over Boston in May.
 

Days later, Gabe York's message focused perseverance.  He spoke at length about overcoming challenges and obstacles in his career. York's four-year career developed after not playing as much as a freshman to graduating as one of the top three-point shooters in program history with a pair of Elite Eight appearances as well.
 
"I took a lot of the same advice that Coach Miller is telling you guys, and I held on to it," York told the crowd. "All of the little things he told me and the small details he instilled in me as a freshman, they are still important years later."
 
The camp's final lunch time speaker was current Detroit Piston Stanley Johnson. Johnson, who is one of five top ten draft picks from the Miller era at Arizona, spoke about his growth and development as a player. Johnson mentioned that many of the lessons he learned in his one season at Arizona, still resonate with him three years later.
 
"The impact Coach Miller had on me as a player was key for me," Johnson mentioned as he ended his talk. "Being coached by a great leader is something that stays with you. They're all important things for anyone to focus on, even when you're young. What you learn here is important for a long time."
 

Another great lunch speaker for the Sean Miller Basketball Camp - today it's Stanley Johnson (@iAmSJ) in the McKale Center! #APlayersProgram pic.twitter.com/509N9HINeQ

— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) June 20, 2018

Taking time out of their busy professional careers hammers home their messages. They could be anywhere during the summer, but they made sure to come out to Tucson. They wanted to come and speak to the young players at Sean Miller Basketball Camp because of what the game and Coach Miller mean to them. Because so many of the little things you can learn at camp go well beyond a couple of weeks in June.