Before he had hope, before he had confidence and before that glorious day in Fresno, Brian Seals thought he would never play basketball again.

"Seriously, I planned to quit," he said. "Even though I loved the game, I didn't see a way how I could continue playing in college. I was ready to find a job, take a few classes here and there, get a degree and then get a real job."

Seals now has a scholarship to play at Fresno State. The 6-foot-7, 210-pound small forward accomplished the goal working out with former and current college players at Hiram Johnson High School this summer.

For the average person, the west entrance to Johnson's gym is merely a way of getting inside.

For basketball players seeking a scholarship, it is an open door to revitalize hoop dreams after most college programs have finished recruiting for the upcoming season.

"The open gym is great because it helps me stay focused on my goal," said Andre Mayo, who played at Sierra College last season. "Without it, no telling what I would get into. This, on the other hand, is a positive place, a spot place where I can try get a scholarship somewhere."

Organizer Fred Wilson has run the open gym for two years under the name Blue Collar Preps.

It is a perfect moniker for the nonprofit organization because Wilson's rules are simple: Players must have played in high school or college and work hard at the gym.

If your name is not on the participation list outside the gym, you will be turned away.

Wilson, the Johnson boys coach, has a passion for helping young men get to college via basketball, especially those who have the talent but were overlooked coming out of high school because of misfortunes.

In addition to overseeing competitive pickup games twice a week, Wilson encourages about 40 players to run through drills to improve fundamentals.

He also markets the players. He creates player profiles, breaks down video of pickup games and sends it out to prospective college coaches.

Coaches also are invited to watch the action in person, which Cal State Stanislaus coach Keith Larsen did recently.

"Since we're a Division II school, we have a few scholarship dollars available where we can make an offer to a guy who is like that diamond in the rough," Larsen said.

Former Kennedy High School star Zach Graves is one who benefited from Blue Collar Preps. Last season, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound guard played sparingly at Montana, averaging 4.7 minutes and 1.5 points. Dissatisfied with his situation, Graves left the Grizzlies' program, hoping to find another school.

Graves signed with Chico State on July 25 after its coaches visited the open gym July 22. Chico State, however, has not made an official announcement on Graves' status.

"I couldn't believe how fast they worked," Graves said of Chico State. "They liked how I played and made the offer after the scrimmage."

Like Graves, Zach Andrews is using Blue Collar Preps as a steppingstone. Known for once leaping spread-eagle over an opposing player to complete an alley-oop dunk in community college, the former Cordova High School, Yuba College and Bradley standout hopes to catch on with another professional team overseas.

"It's a means to an end," said Andrews, a 6-8, 225-pound forward who has played in Spain and Turkey.

"My dream is to play in the NBA," he said. "But I need an invitation to get a tryout. Playing overseas will help me in that way. That's why I come here and work out."

Seals, however, is the biggest story of the open gym.

His playing résumé consisted of one season at Valley High School in 2005-06 and two lackluster seasons at Cosumnes River College, including a disappointing 2007-08 in which he suffered a season-ending right ankle injury after 12 games.

As a result, Seals was under the recruiting radar. His hoop dreams were stymied. He had no school to play for.

"I was probably at the lowest point in my life in terms of my basketball career," Seals said.

Enter Wilson, a former Cosumnes assistant. Wilson stayed in contact with Seals after he left Cosumnes in 2007. He encouraged Seals to come to his open gym, and Seals emerged as the premier player during the workouts.

Wilson sent tape of Seals to UC Riverside, San Jose State and Fresno State, which liked what it saw and invited Seals for a visit. Seals performed well during a workout before the Bulldogs' coaching staff and was signed July 17.

"Brian is a high-energy player who is an athletic defender and rebounder," Bulldogs coach Steve Cleveland said in a release.

"I am really excited to have Brian in the program. He was under the recruiting radar because of his injury, but his work ethic, attitude and competitive nature will be a major asset to our team."

Wilson is not surprised Seals flourished.

"The kid had the talent all along," he said. "He just needed a little encouragement. He could have given up. Yet he kept the faith, worked his butt off, and now he is going to Fresno State.

"And that's what it's all about. Seeing guys work hard and move on is like getting paid a million bucks. You like to see them overcome adversity. So far, Seals and Graves have. The question is, who will be next?"

Call The Bee's Quwan Spears, (916) 326-5517.