July used to be about lemonade, fireworks, grilled hamburgers and the baseball All-Star Game.

Then it was about scouting high school basketball players and trying to find the next guy who'd lead his team to the Final Four.

Now it's about NBA teams looking for preps who might be draftable and Division I coaches trying to keep their committed recruits from straying to the pros or another college team.

There you have it: the Cliffs Notes version of summer recruiting's evolution.

If you are working from a really ancient calendar — from 2002, for instance — you might be under the impression July is the second-most important month on the college scene, trailing only March. That was before the NCAA passed new recruiting rules, particularly one permitting junior prospects to make official campus visits. So the process of evaluating players and offering scholarships has been accelerated, with several high-profile spring events open to coaches. "April is the new July," says Ohio State coach Thad Matta.

Before this year's elite talent camps opened for business last week, 40 of the nation's top 100 senior prospects already had made public commitments. Of course, last year Al Jefferson committed to Arkansas and Josh Smith chose Indiana before the July period got hot; both instead wound up as NBA draft picks.

"I think what we've got now is a revolving 12-month recruiting period," says ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla, a veteran of three Division I head coaching jobs. "This period is more important for mid- and low-majors than it is for the high-level schools. In many cases, the power schools are winding down much of their recruiting. Like buzzards on a summer day, the low-majors and mid-majors are looking for the pickings."

So why will everybody in college basketball and dozens of NBA scouts be jetting across the nation this month as though they're auditioning for the next running of The Amazing Race?

That's just one of many issues you can find addressed in this comprehensive examination of the 2004 summer basketball recruiting scene.

How long does this go on?
For coaches, the recruiting period began July 8 and continues until the end of the month, with a four-day break in the middle. The players can compete all month, but most will attend one of the shoe company camps in the first week, then two or three club tournaments in such cities as North Augusta, S.C., Indianapolis, Orlando, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Those who want to learn more about the game still have the option of attending an instructional camp.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL Best of 2005 recruiting class 1. Tyler Hansbrough, 6-9, PF, Poplar Bluff, Mo. Considering: Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Missouri, Duke. 2. Richard Hendrix, 6-8, PF, Athens, Ala. Considering: NBA, Indiana, Alabama, Auburn, others. 3. Tasmin Mitchell, 6-8, PF, Denham Springs, La. Considering: LSU, North Carolina, Kentucky. 4. Brandon Rush, 6-7, SF, Durham, N.C. Considering: NBA, Louisville, Oklahoma, Arkansas. 5. Louis Williams, 6-4, SG, Snellville, Ga. Committed to Georgia. Compiled by the Sporting News

Notre Dame already has four commitments. Louisville has four. Duke has two. Why do so many schools need to be in so many gyms if so many players are spoken for? Some call it "baby-sitting."

Are three shoe camps one too many, two too many or three too many?
Sonny Vaccaro was working for Nike in the 1980s, trying to expand its basketball profile, when he recognized an opportunity to connect the company to the best young players by staging a camp that would be free to all participants. He classed it up by offering academic skills workshops and guest lecturers presenting lessons in life, but afternoons and evenings were occupied with basketball games. The ABCD Camp was born in 1984.

As Vaccaro moved from Nike to Adidas and now to Reebok, he took the ABCD concept along with him. That left his prior employers to start new camps to fill the void, which is why there were three elite camps going on last week: Reebok ABCD in Teaneck, N.J.; the Nike All-American Camp in Indianapolis, and the new Adidas Superstar Camp in Suwanee, Ga. They ran concurrently, which meant the talent level was depleted.

Vaccaro's early ABCD camps featured 120 players, the best in the nation. Competition has meant more players get invitations; there were nearly 600 at the three camps last week. Most of the players were recommended by a club coach, a talent scout or a high school coach. Some are invited, honestly, because they are friends or teammates with the most coveted prospects.

"The No. 1 thing is more kids have an opportunity for exposure," says David Pump of Adidas. "I think the whole shoe war has helped the kids more."

How can you be in three places at once?
The addition of the third shoe camp this year placed head coaches in a quandary. Few assistants felt the need to visit more than two of the three camps. But a head coach recruiting players spread among Indiana, New Jersey and Georgia faced a brutal travel schedule.

"We've got guys we're recruiting at all three camps, and it's not like they're right around the corner," says Kansas assistant Joe Dooley. "Some of the kids weren't sure what camps they were going to up until the last minute.

"You used to go to Nike for two days, ABCD for two days and really sit and watch. Now you've got a lot more to factor in."

Does which camp a player attends determine which college he'll select?
Charlie Villanueva camped at ABCD when it was sponsored by Adidas, but he chose to attend Connecticut, a Nike school. Chris Duhon played at ABCD in the summer of 1999 but went to Duke, which is sponsored by Nike. UCLA wears Adidas, but guard Cedric Bozeman is a former Nike camper.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL Three programs that need big years 1. Providence The Friars will lose All-American Ryan Gomes after this season, and ace point guard Donnie McGrath is a junior. One key target: 6-8 Chad Millard of Manchester, N.H., a terrific outside shooter. 2. Auburn Three players have transferred; five seniors will leave next year. New coach Jeff Lebo already has a commitment from wing Rasheem Barrett of Atlanta. His fellow Georgians, forward Korvotney Barber and shooting guard Lewis Clinch, would help a lot. 3. Michigan State Alan Anderson, Kelvin Torbert and Chris Hill are set to conclude their college careers. The Spartans already have the second point guard they need — Travis Walton of Lima, Ohio — but still could use a difference-making big man and another guard. And three that don't 1. Louisville Although the Cardinals lost two players from last year's class to the NBA draft, they recovered nicely with four commitments for the 2005 class. The prize of the group is 6-9 Amir Johnson of Los Angeles, one of the top 20 prospects nationally. 2. Notre Dame Big Luke Zeller, a soft-shooting 6-11 center from Washington, Ind., was the must-have player among the four Irish commitments. They also landed the eventual replacement for point guard Chris Thomas in 6-1 Kyle McAlarney of Staten Island, N.Y. 3. Kansas Although the Jayhawks don't have big numbers yet, they've secured plenty of talent. Both small forward Micah Downs and point guard Mario Chalmers are likely McDonald's All-Americans. — Mike DeCourcy, Sporting News

So there are players who, for lack of a better term, cross party lines.

But this isn't to say there aren't some who make college choices based on their loyalty to a particular sneaker brand. New Oregon recruit Malik Hairston played for a Nike-sponsored club program and attended the Nike camp, and his choice of the Ducks was based at least in small part on his affinity for the Nike brand. He said at a news conference that the "connections" he could make playing for Oregon — the home state for the Nike corporation — were a factor in his decision.

Are there differences in the camps?
At the IUPUI campus in Indianapolis, the Nike camp uses three courts, but the floors are situated so it's tougher to see more than one game from a single vantage point in the stands. The ABCD camp features action on four courts concurrently, but they are situated side by side with most seats in the end zones. A coach easily can watch prospects in two games. The new Adidas Superstar Camp planned to use as many as six courts at once, making scouting a challenge.

The biggest difference between Nike and ABCD is atmosphere. Nike does not allow the public into the gym and has strict rules about contact between reporters and players. If anyone is having fun, it is on the court. At Vaccaro's ABCD camp, admission is $5. You pay, you can enter. Among the spectators are agents and runners, autograph seekers and glad-handers.

How much do the camps matter to players?
A player can gain scholarship offers based on how he plays in the summer, and he might lose some, too.

Aside from LeBron James, who missed the summer before his prep senior year with a wrist injury, no prospect will earn the No. 1 ranking in his class without playing well and playing hard in July. That may sound like a hollow honor, but just ask some of the top players whether they're paying attention.

"The guys who play well in July kind of carry that over," says recruiting analyst Dave Telep of TheInsidersHoops.com. "If you struggle in July and are honest enough to know you played poorly, you've got September, October and November to stew on that. It's hard for a big-time player; it can mess with your head."

What's the best way to stand out in these games?
Many players think the best way is to shoot more. That's an epidemic. Such players as Florida guard Anthony Roberson and Portland Trail Blazers forward Travis Outlaw became embarrassingly piggish during their ABCD camp experiences.

In fact, the way to stand out is to play hard, because it's the one rare quality on the summer circuit.

Kevin Garnett's phenomenal effort at the 1993 Nike camp was the first impression he left on the game. This summer, shooting guard Eric Devendorf of Bay City, Mich., might enhance his burgeoning reputation by continuing to play aggressively. Small forward Keith Brumbaugh of DeLand, Fla., will have to fight a tendency to drift during games.

There are little tricks a player can use to help enhance his reputation, as well. Players at the ABCD camp generally are supposed to play two quarters per game. When Sebastian Telfair was matched in a high-profile point guard duel with Shaun Livingston last summer, Telfair convinced his coach to let him play nearly the entire game. So even though Livingston crushed Telfair when they shared the court, Telfair built up nice stats during the other quarters.

Some reporters who covered the game noted Telfair outscored Livingston. Mission accomplished.

What player has the most to prove this summer?
Brandon Rush's brother JaRon once was the top-rated player in the class of 1998. Some uninspired performances caused JaRon's reputation to decline, and he never excelled at UCLA nor played in the NBA. That's a powerful lesson for Brandon — who has the ability to be the best player among the next crop of seniors — if he wants to follow his other brother, Kareem, to the NBA.

Coming off an average (for him) season at Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., Rush performed poorly in spring events. But he was much better at the USA Basketball developmental festival last month. Now, he has to be consistent.

What's the toughest feat on the July recruiting circuit?
Easy. That would be trying to get dinner during the ABCD camp. The Riverside mall is about three miles from Fairleigh Dickinson's Rothman Center and features some fine restaurants: The Cheesecake Factory, Houston's, Morton's and McCormick and Schmick's seafood. Here's the problem: As many as 400 coaches have the same idea, so getting a table isn't easy.

There's only a 90-minute break between afternoon and evening games. Eating fast may not be mannerly, but it's essential.