The opportunity to learn from Fred Hoiberg, Steve Prohm and current ISU basketball players drew people from as far as Pennsylvania to Ames to participate in the first-ever fantasy basketball camp.  

Attendees, who had to be 25 years or older, experienced what it is like to be an ISU basketball player during the three-day camp. 

The attendees were split into two teams. Team Iowa State was coached by junior guard Monté Morris and redshirt sophomore guard Hallice Cooke. The other team, team Cyclones, was headed by senior guard Naz Long and junior guard Matt Thomas.

The two teams played a total of three games throughout the camp. Despite losing the first two games, team Iowa State was able to change its fortunes in Sunday’s championship. 

Team Iowa State captured the title at Hilton Coliseum without the assistance of Morris. 

“[Morris] unfortunately experienced a heartbreak, so the team and I dedicated the championship to him and also to one of the players who hurt his achilles,” Cooke said.

Though this fantasy camp was organized by current ISU head coach Steve Prohm and his staff and players, it was originally classified to be one of the Fred Hoiberg Basketball Camps.

With Hoiberg going to the Chicago Bulls, it appeared campers were only going to have the opportunity to meet Iowa State’s current head coach. But that was not the case.

Hoiberg made a surprise appearance on the last day of the camp and gave one last pre-game speech at Hilton to the campers and his former players.

In a video posted on forward Jameel McKay’s instagram, Hoiberg said play with great spacing, play with great pace and make the passes that need to be made.

McKay said it was a typical, but emotional pre-game speech.

“It was one last game day with coach [Hoiberg], which made it an unreal feeling,” McKay said. 

The attendees weren’t the only ones to benefit from the three-day experience. Campers provided life lessons to the current ISU players about what to expect after college.

“[The campers] were able to give us tips about what we should expect after college and basketball,” Cooke said.