July 11, 2002

By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Chris Thomas sought advice this spring about the NBA, but he never seriously considered leaving Notre Dame.

Instead, Thomas wanted to know what would make him a better player when he returned to the Irish for his sophomore season.

"I asked around about what I needed to work on," Thomas said during this week's Nike All-America Camp. "I wanted to see what the market was going to be like the next two, three, four years."

Thomas was last on the campus of Indiana-Purdue at Indianapolis two years ago as a high school player. This year, he's a counselor, helping coach the high-school recruits and playing against the other two dozen counselors whenever he can.

The immediate payoff is that Thomas and others get to work against some of college basketball's top players. The long-term payoff is that NBA scouts are watching.

"None of us really talk about the league," said Thomas, Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 2001. "Everyone here is talking about our teams for next season."

Thomas, the Big East's freshman of the year last season, is in good company. Among the counselors at the Nike camp, which ended Wednesday, were Kansas' Nick Collison, Oklahoma's Ebi Ere, Illinois' Brian Cook, Purdue's Kenny Lowe and another former Indiana Mr. Basketball, Arizona's Jason Gardner.

The battles between Gardner and Thomas have two of the nation's top point guards going head to head.

"It's pretty fun," said Gardner. "I was in this one time running around, taking it all in. Now, I'm seeing what the coaches do."

Gardner, in his third year as a counselor, withdrew his name from the NBA draft two years ago. He has no regrets about returning to Arizona after the Wildcats lost to Duke in the 2001 NCAA championship game.

"Sometimes, I think you've got to look in the mirror and suck the pride out," he said. "I love Arizona, and now I have a chance to have my team win a national championship and have my jersey retired."

Not every counselor uses the camp the same way, though.

Indiana's 2000 Mr. Basketball, Jared Jeffries, worked at last year's camp and took advantage of the chance to audition in front of NBA scouts. Last month, the Washington Wizards made Jeffries the 11th pick in the draft.

Thomas, a friend, said he is not following Jeffries' lead. He's just trying to work against players like Gardner.

"Everyone's becoming a better shooter," he said. "Everyone's making everyone better."

That doesn't mean that Thomas is looking to leave Notre Dame any time soon.

"There was some talk about that last year because people were impressed with the way I led my team," Thomas said. "I'm not trying to simulate Jared's career. I'm proud of him, I'm happy for him, and one day, we'll be playing against each other in the league."