It's one of those moments that have been burned into the memory of every college basketball fan out there.

It's 1998, and little Valparaiso University is trailing Ole Miss by two with 2.5 seconds to play in their first-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament. Valpo guard Jamie Sykes throws a pass three-quarters of the way down the court to forward Bill Jenkins, who quickly tosses the ball to star guard Bryce Drew in a basketball version of football's old hook-and-ladder play. Drew, the son of head coach Homer Drew, fires a 23-footer with half a second left, and the ball swishes through as the buzzer sounds to give Valparaiso a 70-69 upset win.

The fact the Crusaders went on to win their second-round game and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen almost has been lost to time. The key elements — last-second drama, major upset, the joy of a father-son moment few can understand — taught the entire nation how to properly pronounce the school (it's Val-par-AY-so, not Val-par-RISE-o) and put the city on the college basketball map.

Fast-forward eight years (has it been that long already?). Valparaiso University has failed to hold on to its spot among the college basketball elite, but two high school players from the city that shares its name with the university, have again drawn the attention of the powerful names in the college world.

Scott Martin and Robbie Hummel, soon-to-be senior teammates on the Valparaiso High School ballclub, have spent the summer enjoying the recruiting process and developing their game as they travel around the country. The 6-8, 192-pound Martin and the 6-7, 197-pound Hummel enjoyed the luxury of both playing in the Nike All-America Camp, albeit on different teams, and their mutual experiences on the recruiting trail have given both a much-needed source of support as they approach what is to this point the biggest decision of their lives.

"It definitely is nice," Martin says. "We sit around and talk about it some times, the different experiences and comparing what different guys have told us. It helps to be able to bounce things off of each other."

Hummel and Martin have been friends for a long time. Hummel has a picture of him and Martin playing together on the same team when both were in the second grade, and there is a lot of speculation that both will end up at the same school together. It's a possibility, but not a certainty. But for all the common ground shared by the two friends, there are some huge differences as well.

Hummel has entertained offers from Purdue, Indiana, Arizona State, Iowa and Northwestern among others, but he has narrowed his choices to the Boilermakers and Hoosiers. Hummel is planning on staying in-state for his college career, and now it's a matter of deciding whether he wants to make West Lafayette or Bloomington his home. Martin, meanwhile, is a little more wide open. Indiana and Purdue also are on his list, but Michigan, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Xavier and Valparaiso are there as well, not to mention Arizona State and USC. He's quick to dispel any talk that he definitely will stay in the state of Indiana for his college education.

"There definitely are some out-of-state schools that I really like," Martin says. "There's a definite possibility I could go to those schools. Michigan, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, those are the out-of-state schools I really like."

Hummel is the more experienced player of the two. He took part in the Nike Camp last summer as well, but Martin missed the event while nursing an injury. Hummel learned some lessons last year that he passed on to his buddy.

"I took from (last year's experience) that I needed to be more aggressive," Hummel says. "I only took about four shots last year, so I've been trying to do a little more of that and be more involved. I told Scott to shoot the ball and be aggressive. He has to assert himself."

Hummel is the more athletic of the two, and his versatility has made him one of the better players at the Nike Camp. Hummel runs the floor well, he is active on the glass and does a good job of staying in front of his opponent on defense. He can be physical, but he also has good body control and can be a finesse player from the top of the key. Hummel has the tantalizing skills to run the point as well, and his ability to handle the ball makes him a special talent. He leans forward a bit on his jump shot and shoots the ball from his forehead more than over his head, robbing him of some size at the point of release, but he hasn't had trouble getting his shot off. His unselfishness limited his numbers to just 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists per game during his junior season, but he excels in the team game.

Martin is a much different player. He averaged 20.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and two assists as a junior with the Crusaders, and he shot 58 percent from the floor. He is more of an inside player for his high school team and uses his size well, but for the camps and the future, Martin is working on being more of a perimeter force. He has a good jumper and does a great job of keeping his lower body quiet as he rises for his release. He does the little things, such as filling passing lanes and taking charges, but he lacks the quickness to be a consistent on-the-ball defender on the perimeter, especially vs. smaller opponents. He moves his feet well and works hard, but he doesn't always look comfortable on the floor, almost as if he is still getting used to playing farther away from the basket.

That being said, Martin still is a great talent who has a huge future ahead of him. He is ranked No. 91 in the Rivals.com 150 for the Class of 2007, and he is ranked No. 25 among the small forwards. Hummel ranks 72nd in the 150, and he is No. 19 among the small forwards.

Hummel is a little more sure of himself both on and off the court. He plans on making a decision on his future sometime after the Nike Peach Jam in mid-July, and he is at peace with his timetable. Some recent rumors have pegged him as already having committed to Purdue, going so far as to call Indiana head coach Kelvin Sampson to inform him he wouldn't be coming to Bloomington, but Hummel says such talk is untrue and Indiana still has a good shot at landing him.

"I never called Coach Sampson and told him anything," Hummel says. "I don't know where that came from. There has been like 15 rumors that I've committed, so it gets kind of ridiculous. But it's still kind of funny.

"Purdue and Indiana are both great schools, they have great coaches and great facilities, but it will kind of come down to my gut feeling. I mean, I've seen everything there is to see, so it's just a matter of talking to my parents and thinking about it, and I'll go from there."

Even when it comes to his future outside of basketball, Hummel seems to have a good grasp of what he wants to do with his life.

"I want to work on Wall Street," Hummel says. "My dad traded on the Chicago Board of Trade, so I want to kind of do the same thing he did, but I would rather do it on a bigger scale like Wall Street. I just want to keep that competitiveness there, too. It can be dangerous, I suppose."

Martin still is going through the recruiting process in his mind, and he hasn't decided anything for his future.

"I like both schools," says Martin when asked about the differences between Indiana and Purdue. "I really like Coach (Matt) Painter. I really haven't met with Coach Sampson, but we're definitely going to do that in August. We can't do that now because of the rules, but we're going to talk to him in the future."

Martin is even leaving open the possibility that a school could jump in at this late point in the recruiting process and turn his head.

"A new school can always come in and explain their situation, and the coach and I can hit it off real well," Martin says. "That's always a possibility. I could love the place. It just depends on what they're selling me and what the situation really is."

As for his thoughts on life after basketball, that's just as muddled.

"I change my mind every day," Martin says about a future career. "Probably something business related, but I don't really know. The quality of education is a very important part of everything. There's a very good chance I won't make it to the NBA or play on after college, so I want to have a very strong academic background that I can use and still make a good amount of money."

One issue both agree on is they are ready for the recruiting process to wind down. Hummel and Martin figure they receive at least five or six text messages each on their cell phones from college coaches per day, something that can wear on the players at times.

"It's hard because sometimes you are in the middle of doing something or you're hanging out with your friends, but (the coaches) expect you to answer them right away," Martin says. "You don't really want to do it, but most are really understanding. As long as you get back to them the same day, they usually are pretty cool about it. I turn my phone off during school. We get in big trouble if we have it on. They take it away from us. I usually leave it in my locker, then after school I check it."

Hummel knows what Martin is going through.

"I remember one day I looked down at my phone after school and I had 11," Hummel laughs. "It varies, but I usually get about five a day. There are some days when it gets up to 11 or 12, so you never know. It kind of varies. Sometimes we have conversations. If we're talking about something, that's one thing and I'll respond to that. If they just kind of want to post little facts or something like that… it varies depending on what is going on. If they say, "Hey Robbie, how's it going?" I'll answer that. If they say, for example, 'Indiana has won four national championships,' there's not much you can say to that. It just depends."

One of the reasons Hummel is getting close to making a decision is that he wants the process to stop, even though he says he has enjoyed the attention.

"It's still fun, but I'm kind of sick of it," Hummel says. "I'm sick of all the calls. I don't open my mail much anymore, which is bad. My dad yells at me for it. But being on the phone all the time is kind of tough, but it's a good problem to have. I'm not going to say it's bad."

Hummel has been on Indiana's radar for some time, and he was recruited by former head coach Mike Davis. The switch to Sampson only meant a change in leadership, not a change in Hummel's attitude towards IU.

"Coach Davis offered me a scholarship and I was very interested, and Coach Sampson just reiterated the scholarship offer," Hummel says. "I'm still really interested in IU. Nothing changed. I don't think (Sampson's inability to call him or come to the Nike Camp) makes a difference. I already know all there is to know about Indiana, so I don't think it affects me at all."

Indiana's successful tradition won't make a big impact on his decision either.

"That's in the past," he says. "It's good to have, and they were there a couple of years ago, but it doesn't really weigh on my mind. It's good that they've had tradition. I think you should honor that if you go to the school or even just live in the state of Indiana, but it's not really going to affect my decision."

Both Hummel and Martin know their respective decisions — no matter what they may be — will make them unpopular in some circles. Hummel says he knows his choice will thrill half the state while the other half vilifies him. Martin is more concerned with just making the right decision for him, even if it means he won't get to play with his friend anymore.

"It's not set in stone that we're going to (go to the same school) or not do it, but we can definitely end up in the same place," Martin says. "It's a good possibility. We're good friends. But it isn't set in stone. If it's the right situation for both of us, then we can do it. We'll just have to wait and see. Either way, we'll be friends for the rest of our lives, I would hope."

For the time being, they are working to enjoy the process of being highly-recruited best friends who are getting to experience some of what life has to offer with a buddy by their side.

"I have fun with it," Martin says with a smile. "I like to travel and meet new people. Before this, I didn't know any of the guys on my team. Now, we're hanging out. You get to meet people or even see places that you wouldn't have seen before. Georgia or Florida, for instance. It gives you a chance to travel, and for free, nonetheless. It's really just something I do my best to enjoy, because you only get to do this once."