Lute, former UA players & campers set for Second Olson Fantasy Camp
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2018
Contact: Mike Feder – (520) 954-8803
TUCSON -- The second Lute Olson Fantasy Basketball Camp begins Sept. 6 and runs through Sept. 9 and will, once again, be filled with former University of Arizona players who played for Coach Olson beginning in the mid-1980s.
Former UCLA and St. John’s coach Steve Lavin will be the special guest coach and will join camp coaches Harvey Mason, Kenny Lofton, Bennett Davison, Reggie Geary, Matt Muehlebach, Ben Davis, Joe Turner, Pete Williams, John Edgar, Matt Brase, Craig McMillan and others for the four-day event that will be held at the Sporting Chance Center. More former players could be announced as the camp nears.
“We had a wonderful and memorable time last year so I’m looking forward to this year’s camp,” said Lute Olson, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. “We were thrilled to hear Coach Lavin will spend some time with us. He’s a great story-teller and fun coach – even if he was a Bruin. If the camp is anything like last year’s, I’m expecting another competitive camp. All my explayers love to compete and this was no different. It was fun to see.”
The campers observed players for some time on the first day then held a draft to pick their teams. That, too, was competitive. The former players coached campers for three days with a championship game culminating the event. Basketball, however, wasn’t the highlight of the event. Throughout the four days former players spoke on their admiration for their former coach and how he influenced them on and off the court. The first night dinner was a must-attend event just for the behind-the-scenes stories the players told. Swag and a number of memorabilia were given to the campers. That will occur again this year.
“I was already excited about the opportunity to hang out with my fellow Wildcats, and of course to see Coach Olson,” said Pete Williams, “what I didn’t expect was the camp experience far exceeding my expectations. I had an absolutely amazing time. The relationships that were built with the campers is most meaningful to me. I can’t wait to see them all again as well as what I hope will be, a bunch of newcomers.”
Mike Feder, Partner in the Lute Olson Fantasy Basketball Camp said “Steve Rivera and I talked about doing this camp two years ago. We couldn’t work it out in 2016 but moved forward with it last year. We felt if Coach K, John Calipari, and Bill Self can do a camp, then we need to do one in Tucson to honor Lute. It far exceeded our expectations. The former Wildcats players were tremendous both on and off the court. We can’t wait until this year. We hope more Wildcats fans will consider joining us!”
Please visit the camp’s website at LuteOlsonFantasyCamp.com for video highlights and photos. Feel free to use whatever you need. For more information on the camp contact Mike Feder at feder1616@yahoo.com or Steve Rivera at Steve.Rivera95@gmail.com.