PROVO – Over the next few weeks, hundreds of young basketball players will converge on BYU for the annual summer camps run by the Cougar basketball staff.

Coach Dave Rose is one who loves to work with the young basketball star hopefuls. This year, however, he'll be noticeably absent.

Last weekend, while attending a family reunion in Las Vegas, Rose began bleeding internally. Following hospital tests, Rose had emergency surgery on Saturday to remove his spleen. Currently, he's recovering in a Las Vegas hospital and won't return to Utah until he feels well enough to travel. He'll likely be sidelined for weeks.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Rose family at this time," said BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe. "We would ask that his privacy be respected as he recuperates from surgery."

In his absence, camps will be run by several local prep coaches, BYU assistants Dave Rice, John Wardenburg, Terry Nashif and Tim LaComb, and a few Cougar players.

"Coach Rose really enjoys these camps and really likes being a part of it all, and I'm sure he wishes he could be there," BYU basketball publicist Kyle Chilton said.

The first camp for junior high and high school athletes is June 22-25. The BYU team camp is June 25-27, and the final camp is scheduled for June 29-July 2.

Any basketball operations matters that need tending for the next few weeks, during Rose's recuperation, will also be handled by Rose's assistants.

Since being named the Cougar head coach in April of 2005, Rose has a winning percentage of .740 with a mark of 97-34. He has been named Mountain West Conference coach of the year twice, has won two outright regular-season conference titles and shared the crown last season. He has taken the Cougars to the postseason all four years at BYU – once to the NIT and three straight NCAA appearances.

e-mail: jimr@desnews.com