Rex doesn't bring his sons to Provo to reminisce or wax nostalgic about past triumphs.

"The kids are sick of hearing about that. They hear enough about that at home. We try to ignore it," said Rex, who lives in San Clemente, Calif., and works for a pharmaceutical company. "But coach Rose and coach Wardenburg are good about recognizing the former athletes, both football and basketball players who come to this camp. They appreciate what this school represents and what we built here. So it's great."

The best part of the camp is "just staying in the dorms with my 7-year-old, talking at night," Rex said. "He reads from his joke book and I fall asleep. Spending time with my boys and getting them excited about seeing the BYU campus is the highlight. Now, my boys want to come to BYU to go to school. The food they eat in the cafeteria is great. Everything about this camp is wonderful. I'm sure I'll be here with my three sons when my 3-year-old is old enough."

Rose said that through the camp, fans can enhance their connection to BYU basketball.

"It's a real good way for people to get to know our program and our coaching staff and players. We're here every day and we have interaction with these guys," Rose said. "You get to know them. A lot of guys are from out of town and you see them on the road when we're playing games. They really like BYU basketball and BYU athletics. It's a good way for them to feel close to the program."

Not all of those who attend the camp are die-hard Cougar fans, however. This year, a group from Logan unabashedly displayed their loyalty to Utah State.

"We have guys who wear their Aggie or UNLV shirts from their hometowns," Rose said with a smile. "We see USC, Oklahoma shirts. They're all welcome."

David Olsen, of Logan, admitted that attending the camp is not cheap but added that the experience is priceless.

"It's dorm living, which isn't that great. There are noisy kids and we're up late and we eat too many doughnuts. But my son, Henry, has a great time. He looks forward to it all year. I see us doing it for quite a few more years. It's pricey — about $700 for the two of us. But you can't get that kind of time with your kid anywhere else."

Bunn, who has worked at BYU for two decades, is one of the camp's strongest proponents.

"I'm addicted to this camp. I love it," said Bunn, who has two daughters and no sons. "This is by far my all-time favorite camp. I think it's because of what it is. We call it a basketball camp, but I think there's probably as much other things as basketball going on. You don't have to be a basketball phenom to come to this camp. It's about being with your son for four days, which I think is absolutely incredible. There are so many of us that are so busy with things outside of our family. It's a great opportunity."

E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com