YOUTH BASKETBALL: CAMP IS OASIS FOR BASKETBALL : HOOP SKILLS GROW IN ONCE BARREN AREA.

Byline: Nevin Barich Staff Writer

When Martin Prince first moved to the Antelope Valley in 1994, he didn't see much in terms of basketball.

Besides the local high schools and junior colleges running leagues and their various basketball camps, Prince didn't see the opportunity for a young player to develop his skills during the offseason.All he really saw, he said, was a lot of desert sand.

So Prince decided to create opportunity for area player by creating the Hoop Explosion Basketball Camp.

The camp, now in its fifth year, gives Antelope Valley youth ages 8-16 the chance to learn basketball fundamentals alongside some of the brightest stars in the NBA.

This year, the camp, which runs from July 12-14 at Highland High, features former UCLA stars Toby Bailey (now with the Phoenix Suns) and Charles O'Bannon (now with the Detroit Pistons), and Los Angeles Laker point guard Tyronn Lue.

The camp also feature WNBA players, guards Tamecka Dixon and Penny Toler from the L.A. Sparks.

``The whole point of this was to bring something to the Antelope Valley,'' said Prince who founded Complete Package Sports Group, which markets several NBA and NFL players and sets up youth camps. Prince played at Middle Tennessee State, helping the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances from 1985-88.

``Outside of baseball (camps), we never had big stars working with kids, playing with kids.''

Prince originally got the camp idea watching his brother, Danny, play for Quartz Hill High in the early '90s. Danny Prince, who graduated in 1992 as the Golden League's all-time leading scorer and later played at UC Santa Barbara, often had to travel as far as downtown Los Angeles for camps.

``Obviously, during that time, while at Quartz Hill (High), there wasn't a lot to offer outside of Quartz Hill,'' said Danny Prince, now a counselor at the camp.

So Martin Prince started Hoop Explosion, getting NBA players to instruct the drills. In recent years, the camp, which attracts 80-100 players a year, has featured such pro hoops stars as San Antonio's Mario Elie; the Lakers' Travis Knight, Derek Fisher and Sean Rooks and UCLA's all-time leading scorer and NBA journeyman Don MacLean.

``We always make sure we pick quality individuals, not just NBA players'' said assistant camp director Tamara Prince. ``We want positive role models for our kids, talking about education (and) not doing drugs.''

Information: [phone].

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1-2) Former UCLA Bruins Toby Bailey, above, and Charles O'Bannon, below, will participate in the Hoop Explosion Basketball Camp.

Mark Duncan/Associated Press