“She is absolutely loving this,” said Terry Bryant, who videotaped his daughter, Tara, as she shot free-throws in Allen Fieldhouse. “Of course, the big thing … is to see Kirk Hinrich.”

About 300 third- through eighth-graders paid $55 each to attend the annual Holiday Clinic at KU. Three hours of court work preceded a 60-minute autograph session with coaches and players, including fan favorites such as Hinrich, a senior guard from Sioux City, Iowa.

Each camp participant received a T-shirt, 2002 basketball calendar and ticket to the Jayhawks’ game against University of North Carolina-Asheville at 7 p.m. Thursday in the fieldhouse.

Before the whistle kicking off the autograph session, students were put through dribbling, passing, shooting and defense drills.

Megan Ballard, 13, of Whitewater, traveled more than two hours by car to attend the camp.

She left with a physical reminder of what she learned.

“On defense,” Ballard said, “I learned you have to stay down a lot. It hurts.”

Jack Hearnen, a 10-year-old student at Quail Run School in Lawrence, said his favorite camp activity was a shooting contest called “knockout.” Campers survived in the game as long as they hit shots. Falter, and they were benched.

“I finally missed,” Hearnen said.

Ten-year-old Dylan Flitcraft of Lawrence was there to improve his game. The basketball camp veteran also signed up because he wanted to scout his favorite Jayhawk, sophomore guard Keith Langford of Fort Worth, Tex.

“He has such good ups,” Flitcraft said.

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The 10-year-old also was well-versed on stellar Jayhawk players of the past.

Standing amid a group of campers, Flitcraft was the only one able to identify the former KU player coaching at their goal. Flitcraft didn’t need to see highlights from the early 1990s to jog his memory.

“That,” he lectured the others, “is Steve Woodberry.”