The gymnasium at Madison’s Vel Phillips Memorial High School was full of energy as more than a hundred kids participated in the first-ever Vander Blue basketball camp. Basketball bounced with fervor, a live DJ blasted tunes, and coaches shouted instructions as campers learned the game first hand from professional basketball players, including Blue himself.
Blue, one of the most legendary basketball players in Memorial’s storied history and one of the greatest players in Wisconsin state history, returned to his alma mater for the first time in years to begin giving back the lessons he learned over his career.
“We wanted to come back to the community and give back a free camp, and really just put our fingerprints on the city now,” Blue said. “We have been putting this together for a while and it’s been a great vibe, great energy.”
Vander Blue led Madison Memorial to a state championship in 2009, and returned Memorial to the state title game in 2010.
Blue’s Memorial teams were the best in modern Wisconsin state history, along with 2026’s Wisconsin Lutheran and the Milwaukee Vincent teams of the mid-90s.
After high school, Blue played for Marquette, helping the team reach the Elite Eight in the 2013 NCAA tournament. Blue played in the NBA and overseas, and was a champion and MVP in the NBA’s G League.
The two-day camp was free and was put together by Get Rich Academy, a company co-founded by Madison musical artist Jerome Hunt, also known as Romey, and Madison basketball legend Roy Boone.
Hunt said more than 130 kids attended the camp and were taught basketball IQ and fundamentals by some of the greatest players in Madison’s history.
“We want to inspire the youth that they’re the future and could do anything they put their minds to,” Hunt said.
Among the weekend’s coaches was Boone, himself an iconic basketball name in Madison. Boone was the best player in the city in the late 90s at Madison East High School.
Boone averaged nearly 30 points per game as a senior at East and was on the all-state first team. He then played on a Wisconsin team that went to the Final Four. Boone played professional basketball all over the country and world before joining the coaching staff at Madison College, where he has been since 2016.
“I think the future is bright for Madison and our community,” Boone said of the talent on display at the camp. “I see a lot of kids who remind me of myself out there.”
A couple thunderous dunks and a few far less thunderous gaffes accompanied a three-on-two fast-break drill kids participated in. Positive energy abounded throughout the drills, which eventually gave way to 3v3 and, ultimately, 5-on-5 full-court games.
Hunt sat down and reflected on both his and Blue’s lives as the kids ran up and down the court.
“We’re just two kids from the south side of Madison,” Hunt said. Hunt recalled the days of helping keep Blue on track for basketball stardom while also carving out a niche for himself, working just as hard in the hip-hop game as Blue worked on his basketball game.
Yet look at them now. Hunt is a successful musical artist and Blue is a former pro and a great father.
“Him being a great dad, being a great person, obviously making it to the NBA,” Hunt said as he listed Blue’s accomplishments that made him most proud. “That was our dream in Sixth Grade. We both worked on that dream together, day in and day out.”
Hunt’s Get Rich Academy is designed to help youths achieve similar dreams but is about more than just gaining lucrative careers. Hunt and Blue have positive personalities. That’s part of getting rich.
Hunt wants youths to know “getting rich” is about more than just money. It is spiritual, it’s relationships, physical and mental health. He spoke about wanting youths to feel a drive to enrich themselves on every level of their beings.
Hunt wants to develop teams to compete on the highest levels of the AAU basketball circuit and is seeking sponsorships. Sponsorships would allow kids from Madison’s community to travel, eat, have proper clothing and gear, and compete with other kids from all over the country.
“We want to help this next generation get the same opportunities,” Hunt said. “There’ll be a lot more Vander Blues coming through the Get Rich Academy.”
Someone came up and asked Hunt if he wanted the best of the youths to face the best of the “old guys” in a scrimmage.
“Nah,” Hunt said, laughing. Despite the youthful talent on hand, it appeared doubtful any could contend with Blue or Boone, even now.
Besides, it was about giving the kids a chance to come together and learn so they could one day be the iconic figures passing down knowledge.
“Basketball unites people,” Roy Boone told Madison365. “So that’s kind of what we’re doing. And we just need more things like this.”
