Cage Camp Matches Top Players, Recruiters : ‘I Think About Scoring First’ : John Hardy, Rolling Hills’ Top Gun, Will Have to Get More Defensive

SANTA BARBARA — John Hardy is hardly defensive about his lack of defense. He’s first to admit that his basketball game is often one-dimensional.

“I think about scoring first and defense second,” Hardy said. “After I score, I think about defense. I need to get out of that habit.”

Hardy spent last week trying to shed that image at the Sportsworld Superstar Basketball Camp at UC Santa Barbara. With more than 150 college recruiters watching from the stands of the Events Center, Hardy knew there was no time to waste.

“If you play really well, your name is going to be known,” Hardy said. “If you play really badly, they’ll probably look at your name and not even think twice. It’s like a first impression. You got only one chance to make that first impression.”

Hardy knows a lot about leaving a first impression on the offensive end of the court. The 6-foot-5 swing man from Rolling Hills can put the ball in the hoop. Early this month, he averaged 38 points per game in the Carson City Summer League.

“He’s a good athlete, a good shooter,” scouting adviser Don Mead said. “He’s mainly an offensive-type player. He needs to work on his defense.”

That’s the tag coaches seemed to share about Hardy. He understood. Hardy knew they were watching to see if his approach to the game was changing.

“I don’t think they’re looking for fanciness,” Hardy said. “They’re looking for guys who hustle and play defense. They’re probably looking for more defense than offense because they know everybody here can shoot.”

That belief seemed lost by most campers once the ball was tossed up. The fast-paced games featured numerous players with only the rim on their minds. Everybody wanted to shoot.

The coaches agreed that everyone at the camp can do that. They want to see what else a player can do.

“We look for guys who are aggressive, hard-nosed and play all the time,” UCSB assistant Ben Howland said. “We look for the guys who are tenacious on defense and play both ends of the court.”

Hardy wants to show that he can become that type of player. He thinks it’s just a matter of putting his mind to it. He has the physical tools.

“On defense, you just have to concentrate and work hard,” Hardy said.

“He needs to be a little more consistent,” Mead said. “He can do it when he wants to do it.”

Doing it in front of all the scouts is not easy for many players. A lot is riding on the impression they make, but coaches said the pressure to impress is just part of the game.

“The pressure is good because those who handle it well are normally going to be winners,” Arizona State assistant Frank Arnold said. “It’s important to find out if they’re going to be able to handle the pressure.”

“When you mess up or make a mistake, you feel like you have to make up for it,” Hardy said. “There’s a lot of pressure because you want everybody to look at you.”

Hardy said it took a few games to get used to the atmosphere of the camp. He could feel the heat the first time he stepped on the floor and looked up in the stands.

“You’re under a microscope while they evaluate you,” he said. “At first I was nervous, but then I just started relaxing and getting my confidence. It’s all in how you think of it. You can’t be scared. You just have to get into the flow of the game and not think about the scouts.”

What Hardy tried to think about was defense. The Superstar Camp was too important for his future to flash just offensive moves. He wanted to show that he’s an all-around player.

“They’re looking for a whole player,” Hardy said. “They want to see a guy who can shoot and play defense. I’m trying to be more aggressive. I’d like to be playing defense better. I have to get into the habit of that.”