Jamaco Camps - Embracing the love of the game
Why were they so successful?
As described in the yearbook: “The phenomenal success of the Jamaco Saints is based on a combination of factors, not the least of which is a lethal fast break and superb control of the boards. In ten years, they won a fantastic 83 percent of their games, an almost impossible task considering that they hunt trouble with an outrageously frenetic schedule.
“Jamaco…excels on the court and has fun, this being what amateur basketball is all about. The Saints mold capable individuals into a capable team, believing in the importance of team effort and finds players thrust into their presence from every geographical section of the country, a phalanx of stars from large and small colleges who display an exciting blend of strength and speed.
“Most are pro prospects who have chosen to pursue careers without delay; their future is bright. They work hard, as teachers, salesmen, graduate students and stockbrokers. This heterogeneous collection of Jamaco basketballers has one thing in common, team spirit. Representing the United States in the Olympics and on European tours, Jamaco players have shown, in the best tradition of American sport, that basketball helps build character, national pride and international understanding.”
The end of the Saints and the beginning of some notable careers came in 1967 when the NBA expanded from eight to 12 teams and the American Basketball Association (ABA) was established as a rival to the NBA.
This group of tremendous players and their coach were inducted into the Illinois Hall of Fame in 1992 and are also recognized in the AAU section of the Naismith Hall of Fame.
Jamaco Saints notable players:
- Jerry Colangelo — Illinois (Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and former owner of Phoenix Suns, Mercury, Rattlers, and Arizona Diamondbacks)
- George Wilson — Cincinnati (1964 United States Olympic Team)
- M.C. Thompson — DePaul
- Dick Cook — DePaul
- Herbie Brown — Tennessee State
- Reggie Brown — Tennessee State
- Ken Siebel — Wisconsin
- Vic Rouse — Loyola
- Don Nash — Tennessee State
