Former Iowa State star basketball player Naz Mitrou-Long returned to Ames this week for the first annual Naz Mitrou-Long Basketball Camp.

Working with former Iowa State women’s basketball All-American Lyndsey (Medders) Fennelly, Mitrou-Long found time to squeeze in a camp in the midst of preparing for the upcoming NBA Draft.

Fennelly has teamed up with former Cyclone stars in the past as well. Last year, she helped run Georges Niang’s camp in Ames after Niang graduated from Iowa State.

“People don’t know the half of what she’s done to help this be successful,” Mitrou-Long said. “She’s brought this to reality. If I was doing this by myself, to be honest, it would probably be damn near impossible.”

Mitrou-Long was one of the other Cyclones at Niang’s camp a year ago, along with teammate Matt Thomas, and said his experience with last year’s camp is what led to the decision to have his own camp.

With Mitrou-Long traveling all over the country working out for NBA teams — he went from Indiana to Boston this week, then “had a couple hours of sleep and here I am in Ames now,” Mitrou-Long said — Fennelly’s role as camp organizer has been huge for Mitrou-Long just like it was huge for Niang a year ago.

Fennelly said both Mitrou-Long and Niang were the perfect candidates for camps like this because they “understood their impact.”

“You signing something, you spending two minutes talking to a young person means something [to them],” Fennelly said.

Mitrou-Long’s camp featured two sessions Friday. The morning session was for kids between grades 2-6 with middle and high school kids participating in the afternoon.

Among Mitrou-Long’s camp staff were former teammates Donovan Jackson, Nick Weiler-Babb and Stu Nezlek.

Mitrou-Long also said the camp won’t just be a one-year deal.

“This is not just one year where I’m gonna get in and get out and say, ‘bye, Ames,’” Mitrou-Long said. “It’s an annual thing. It’s something I’m gonna be a part of the rest of my life.”