The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THREE talented young basketball players from Noble Preparatory Academy have their bags packed for their journey to Canada on Wednesday to continue high school and begin their collegiate careers.

While Shamar Burrows will be returning for another tenure at Ridley College where he will be entering grade 11, both Delroy Grandison and Tenero Ferguson will be enrolling as freshmen at Niagara College.

The trio, who all played under coach Geno Bullard, will be among a total of 13 students from Noble Preparatory Academy who will either be entering high school or college when they leave for Canada on Wednesday.

“We are just giving them an orientation of what to expect when they travel to the schools on Wednesday,” said Bullard of a meeting held at Noble Preparatory Academy over the weekend for both parents and students.

“We want to take away some of the pressure that everybody has about going off to school so they can rest assured that their kids are in good hands and they can make the adjustment more easier knowing that they have somebody who is working on their behalf.”

As for the players, whom Bullard has been working with extensively in his No Bull Basketball Club, he’s excited to know that Bullard, Grandison and Ferguson are all making the transition from the Bahamas to Canada.

“Noble Preparatory is just a station to get these students ready for the next level,” Buillard said. “Shamar went to Ridley on an exchange programme last year and I’m quite sure that based on the experience he gained, he’s prepared to go even further this year.

“I expect them to carry on the tradition that we have established here. These guys are well prepared and they are very talented in basketball. They are ready for any task that comes their way. They should be able to navigate through any obstacle that they encounter.”

Rated as the most outstanding player in high school last year, Grandison said he feels he’s fully prepared to move on.

“For the past few weeks, my parents have been down on me to stay focused and get ready for school,” he said. “Now that it has arrived, I’m ready. I’m quite prepared for it. This is the outcome of what I got out of Noble Preparatory Academy, so I know I’m not going to let my parents down. I have to do good.”

Having led his team and won the most valuable player award in just about every tournament they’ve competed in, Grandison said coach Bullard has steered him in the right direction over the past seven years.

“When I first came here, I was really confused, but being around coach Bullard, he has really helped to change my outlook on life,” Grandison said. “I’m a much better person on and off the court, even a better basketball player because I look at the game differently now.

“I know I can be a better leader and a better student athlete. I’ve gotten a good balance of sports and academics, so I know that I will be able to make the adjustment when I go to Niagara College.”

Expected to major in welding technician, Grandison said he’s not sure what position he will be required to play on the team. He said it doesn’t matter because he’s prepared to play.

So is Ferguson, who has performed exceptionally well as a second or third scoring option for No Bull.

“It’s an honour. I’ve been thinking and dreaming about this for years,” he said. “I really want to take that next step and better myself in college and playing basketball because I really want to one day play in the NBA, but if that doesn’t work out, take up business management.”

Since he’s been under the guidance of Bullard, Ferguson said he has definitely matured as an individual.

“He taught me how to be confident and how to never be scared of anything and on the basketball courst, not to surrender and don’t ever give up,” Ferguson said. “He’s taught how to stay focused and to balance basketball and my education.

“At Niagara, I am looking forward to just staying focused on my students so that I can get my degree and try to improve my skills on the basketball court because I really want to see how far I can take my game to the next level.”

With Grandison going to Niagara College with him, Ferguson feels he will be in good company because they have played together in so many games and they know each other’s game very well.

His mother, Tanya Buchannan, said it’s going to be hard, but she’s thrilled to see her one and only child go off to school.

“I’m excited. I guess when he departs, that’s when I’m really going to miss him,” she said. “But because he’s going to excel in his dream, I’m happy for him.”

Since moving her son from Charles W Saunders High School where he was concentrating more on basketball, Buchannan said she’s seen a complete turn around with his academic accomplishments.

“His grades was dropping and I was really looking for somewhere to send him and he told me about Mr Bullard, we met him and after speaking to him, what he said encouraged me to send Tereno to Noble Preparatory Academy.

“I am very proud of what he did her. I’m now looking forward to him going to college. I just want him to put God first in everything that he does and he will direct his path. I know that he can do it.”

Grandison’s mother Patrice Fernander said it’s a dream come true for her son. “I’m really excited and words can’t express how I feel because it’s been a long road for him to get to this point,” Fernander said. “I’m one of the first moms who have been assisting Mr Bullard and today I am so happy for what Delroy has achieved.

“I want to thank Mr Bullard and I would encourage any parent to invest in their kid because although it’s over, he has made some tremendous strides with my son and I know he can do the same with others.”

Fernander said through Grandison’s involvement in Noble Preparatory Academy, she has discovered that it’s not just playing basketball, but she got to watch his progress as a student and she wants to commend Bullard for helping her son to become a well-rounded student.

Burrows, who made an impact from the moment he joined the Tigers basketball team at Ridley College last year, said he’s eager to complete his mission when he returns this year.

“Last year, I helped the team to get to the regional championship where we lost by just one point, but this year, I’m looking for nothing but success, not just on the basketball court, but also in the classroom,” he said.

“Last year, I finished with four As, three Bs and one C so this year, I’m planning on finishing with all As. I just want to stay on top of things and hopefully get some good looks from colleges and universities in the United States.”

To his former team-mates, who will be heading to Niagara College, Burrows had nothing but high expectations for them as well.

“I think they will make a great transition at Niagara. We’ve been together for a while and played together on the same team, so it will probably be challenging for them knowing that they don’t have their point guard to rely on,” he said.

“But they should be able to fit in very well at their school and they should be able to do very well in school because they are some smart guys. So hopefully they will have a successful career at Niagara College. I wish them all the best.”

Burrows, a point guard and team captain of the Bahamas’ junior national team, is currently nursing an injury to his left foot, but he expects that by the time he settles into Ridley High, he will be ready to get prepared for the Tigers’ basketball season.

Bullard has indicated that while he’s sending 13 of his students off on Wednesday, he’s still available to assist any others who want to travel to Canada to further their education. Interested persons can contact Noble Preparatory Academy at 676-0055/6 or visit the campus on Nassau Street.