The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ANOTHER group in the long list of Bahamian prep basketball stars in the United States were awarded for their successful seasons in Miami, Florida.

Nashad Mackey and Jaron Cornish were both named to the Miami Herald’s All-Dade first-team, while Oswald Parker was named to the third team for 4A-2A schools in Dade County, Florida.

Both are seniors at Champagnat Catholic School Lions in Hialeah, Florida, which has become a major pipeline for Bahamian basketball talent at the high school level.

Cornish, a 6’0” combo guard, averaged 17.5 points, six assists and five rebounds per game. Mackey, a 6’6” forward,  posted averages of 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game.

The Lions finished the season at 26-2 and lost in the Regional Semi-finals of the Florida High School Boys FHSAA basketball tournament. They also won several in-season tournaments, including the Adidas Holiday Slam and the A-Rod Classic.

Cornish and Parker are both natives of Abaco, and rose to national prominence with head coach Wayne Adderley’s Agape teams which reached a Hugh Campbell Final Four for the first time in school history in 2013.

Mackey was a former standout for the CR Walker Knights and Trevor Grant.

In his senior season with the Lions this fall, Mackey has become a highly sought after recruit for the class of 2015 as the trio helped the Lions emerge as one of the top teams in South Florida.

Mackey has garnered interest from High Point University, Stetson University and Barry University. He was named the tournament MVP of the aforementioned A-Rod Classic when he went for 35 points and 11 rebounds in the tournament- clinching win over Miami Christian.

“The transition to switch countries isn’t so difficult when you know what you want to become in life,” Mackey said. “I came to America at a very young age. I was able to view and observe those ahead of me. That allowed me to increase my efforts in the classroom and put in the extra work even when nobody is watching.”