ABCD Camp: Biggs comes up big on Day 2

TEANECK --

All he needed was a little time to adjust, some extra shooting practice and a few nice bounces of the ball.

After struggling a little during Thursday's Day 1 of ABCD Camp, 6-foot-8, 250-pound Rutgers target Tyrell Biggs had a breakout day Friday, posting 14 points and 4 rebounds in his Mavs' 74-71 afternoon-session victory over the Bucks and 15 points and 4 rebounds in a 95-79 night-session rout of the Pistons.

Biggs was ticked off after Thursday's session, particularly with his offense, as he only put up a combined 9 points and 11 rebounds.

"My shot's not falling," he said Thursday night. "I don't know what's wrong with my jumper."

He didn't waste any time finding out, working on his shot -- taking mid- and long-range jumpers -- for at least 30 minutes after Thursday night's game. It paid off Friday, as he shot a combined 11-of-16 from the field. Mixed in with those 11 makes were several pretty jumpers, including a beautiful 15-foot fadeaway on the baseline.

"(Thursday) was still transition for me, getting used to my team and the camp," a much happier Biggs said Friday. "I was more comfortable today."

Biggs also was much more active on defense, running and up and down the court like a man on a mission, trying to prove Thursday's games were a fluke and showing people why he has offers from Duke, Maryland, Pittsburgh and Rutgers, among others. But the ever-striving-for-perfection Biggs believes he can improve a lot on defense and intends to use today and Sunday's sessions as his own defensive workshop.

"I came here (to the camp) wanting to work on my defense," Biggs said. "I'm getting pretty good, but I still definitely wanna tighten it up."

His ABCD Camp coach, former UNLV head coach Bill Bayno, is a firm believer that defense leads to solid all-around play, something coaches look for.

"He's very active on defense and he's got a nose for the game," Bayno said Thursday night. "Shots don't really have to fall. It's the little things the coaches look for, and he does those. He loves to be coached."

Perhaps it's those little things Rutgers covets, little things like positioning himself for tricky outlet passes, scrambling for loose balls and elevating for rebounds and shots instead of waiting for the ball to come to him.

The Scarlet Knights are hanging in there with the big boys in Biggs' recruitment and likely will have to compete most with Duke and Pittsburgh. Both schools have been represented at the camp. But Biggs, who said Thursday he might not make his college choice until AFTER his senior season -- meaning next spring -- isn't forgetting about Rutgers.

"They're a strong program. I like them," he said of the Scarlet Knights, "but there are a lot of schools up there right now."