Mizzou Basketball Players Help With St. Louis Area Hoops Camp

Some area University of Missouri basketball fans eager for the return of Laurence Bowers to the men's basketball lineup after a year on the bench due to a knee injury had their chance to see the fifth-year senior up close this week during a basketball camp in St. Louis County.

Bowers and Tony Criswell, new to the team this year from a Junior College in Oklahoma, were the guest counselors at the annual Collegiate All-Stars Basketball Clinic held this week at Kennedy High School.

Check out more photos from the event on Facebook

The two-day program offered opportunities for young kids and high school athletes to work on their ball-handling skills in their own age-appropriate sessions.

"Coach (Frank Haith) let us come down here and work this and I’m glad he did. I’ve met a lot of new little, little friends," Bowers said Tuesday. Bowers said he is continuing work to regain confidence in the injured knee and showed no-ill effects while assisting with drills.

Criswell is just beginning his introduction to Missouri basketball and was happy for the chance to give back to younger kids, saying he was "humbled" by the opportunity.

The Tigers have already begun workouts for the fall in Columbia, ahead of a European trip planned for next month.

Thursday on Patch: Bowers and Criswell talk about their early impressions of two new teammates, recent Marquette graduate Ryan Rossburg and graduate Eric Moeller.