The Tribune

by RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The senior men and women national basketball teams have dominated the country’s focus recently at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championships, but the best junior basketball players in the Bahamas are set to take centre stage next week against international competition.

The Bahamas will be one of eight teams to participate in the 2014 Centrobasket U15 Championship for Men, July 16-20 in Panama City, Panama.

They will join Guatemala, Puerto Rico and host country Panama in group B, while group A comprises Mexico, Costa Rica, US Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic.

The draw for the tournament was held today, last week at the offices of FIBA Americas in San Juan, Puerto Rico, under the direction of the Sports Manager of FIBA Americas, Mr. An�bal Garc�a.

In the draw, the teams were divided into two groups that will play round -robin within the group.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for a semi-final where the 1st place of Group A will play the second place of Group B and vice versa.

The winners of the Semi-Finals will advance to the Finals.

The top three finishers at the tournament will qualify for the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.

The Bahamas will also be represented in Panama City on the officiating front by FIBA certified referee Shandera Gardiner.

Gardiner is one of 12 referees representing 12 countries charged with officiating the tournament.

The final 12 man roster cut has yet to be made, but the Bahamas has a working developmental squad of 21 players from which the cut will be made.

Those players include: Trenton Ambrose, Malik Cleare, Dhylan Culmer, Ettienne Jyles, Shyrone Kemp, Lunsworth Trevor Lightbourne, Chose Levarity, Simar Rolle, Javares McIntosh, Franco Miller, Rick Russell, Davonte Moxey, Andron Spence, Michael Williams, D’Angelo Mackey, Elliot Greenslade, Jevaughn Ferguson, Jalen Hall,Ackeem Hanna, Ivoine Ingraham and Stephon Johnson.

In their last appearance at the Centrobasket U15 Championships, the Bahamas won a bronze medal with a 63-47 win over Guatemala in the third place game, led by Sebastian Gray’s 25 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks.

Gray led the team in scoring and rebounding at 11.4 points and 8.8 points and rebounds per game respectively.

He also was the team’s leading shot blocker at 1.4 blocks per game and leading free throw shooter at 80 per cent.

Shemar Burrows was second on the team in scoring with 11.2 points per game, rebounding at 8.6 per game and assists at 2.6 per game.

He led the team shooting 51 per cent from the field and was tops in steals at 2.6 per game.

Daejour Adderley was the third leading scorer on the team and the only other player to average doubles figures at 10.8 points per game.

The Bahamas opened up competition with a 73-63 win over El Salvador, and followed with a tough 74-66 loss to Mexico.

They defeated the Cayman Islands 105-35 to advance to the semifinals where they lost to eventual champions Puerto Rico, 78-55.