The WKU men’s basketball team is back on campus for summer classes and team workouts. When they’re not busy hitting the weights or the books, you can find them helping children during Ray Harper’s Basketball Camp in Diddle Arena.

The first of two day-camps will wrap up Thursday. The next day camp is set for July 8-10, and elite camps are marked for June 28-29.

The camps not only bring young Hilltoppers to Diddle Arena for a chance to work with the men’s basketball team, but former players come back for the summer to help lead camps.

Former Hilltoppers like Steffphon Pettigrew and Kahlil McDonald come back from playing professional basketball to spend time helping kids at Ray Harper’s basketball camp.

Pettigrew spent the last two seasons playing professionally in Venezuela and Mexico. McDonald currently plays for the Central Basketball League’s Bowling Green Hornets.

“It’s a good opportunity to not only be with the kids, but being around the players and getting to know a lot of the new players and being around the coaching staff as well,” Pettigrew said. “I enjoy being at WKU and being in Bowling Green.”

The presence of former Hilltoppers adds to the basketball family currently on campus helping with camp. All of the new Hilltopper freshmen and transfers are on campus taking summer classes while also giving their time to the camp.

Junior forward George Fant said helping with the camp gives the team a good break from the daily grind of classes and team workouts.

“It’s great to have a lot of kids in the community and all around come out and hang out with the players,” Fant said. “They get to see what we do every day and how we have fun here. It’s always good to give back to the community. It’s a good feeling.”

“These kids say a lot of things. It’s unbelievable the things they say and how smart they are. You kind of feel young again with the energy so it’s fun.”