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Bill Self's Kansas basketball Parent-child Camp

Life as a college basketball coach can be rather grueling, especially when taking on a head coaching position for the first time.

That's why Ben Miller enjoyed the opportunity of spending Saturday at the Bill Self Kansas Basketball parent-child camp with his 5-year-old son Charlie.

Miller, a former Kansas University men's basketball assistant under Roy Williams and Bill Self, was hired in April as coach of North Carolina-Pembroke after spending four years as an assistant and associate head coach at Missouri State.

"This is a great time to have a father-son type camp," Miller said. "Coach Self, Brett (Ballard) and the rest of the staff do a great job just giving fathers and sons the opportunity like this.

"It's also nice for me to come back to KU and see coach Self, coach (Joe) Dooley and the rest of the coaching staff. Those guys are really close friends to me."

Miller had the opportunity to catch up with friends that he's known since he was a grad student at KU in the early '90s as well.

As it worked out, he got to see his son go up against the son of one of those friends - Kyle Carlesimo, son of Miller's friend Carolyn, who is the wife of Seattle Supersonics coach P.J. Carlesimo.

Kyle, also 5 years old, isn't afraid of a little competition. He's gone up against professional basketball players such as former KU hoopster Nick Collison.

"He's used to being around those NBA guys," Carolyn said. "Any time they're around the house, he wants to get them into a game of basketball and he always does. But he's pretty good. He can hold his own pretty well for a little guy. It's pretty cute."

Miller will spend Father's Day with Charlie for the conclusion of the parent-child camp. But Charlie has plans to give his dad another gift.

"I have two cards that I brought here," Charlie said. "That's all. I made him two cards."

With his dad being nearly 2,000 miles away in Seattle, Kyle will have to wait an extra day before celebrating.

"We'll do a delayed Father's Day. We don't get back until Monday night, so we'll have to do something when we get back," Carolyn said. "We have another son, who is 3, so he's back home with dad for the weekend. He gets quality time with the little guy, so it's good."

While Kyle will return to see P.J., Charlie will cherish the few days with dad before Ben travels to North Carolina.

"This is our last couple of days together," Ben said. "The family is going back to Missouri trying to sell the house. But I'll be heading back out there (North Carolina) for about three weeks, so this is my last couple of days with him until July 5 when I come back. So trying to spend as much time with them as I can."

¢ Arthur cancels: KU's Darrell Arthur, who canceled a workout in Toronto last week because of a hamstring injury, worked out for the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

The Sacramento Bee reported that Arthur "struggled through back pain in the workout." He strained it on a plane ride to Seattle last week.