The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the Caribbean Basketball Confederation returning the Under-16 Boys Basketball Championships for the first time in more than a decade, the Bahamas Basketball Federation is looking to regain another title.

Quinton ‘3-Ounce’ Hall said one of the good things is that the coaching staff was able to bring players together from New Providence, Grand Bahama and Sal Salvador to make up the team.

“The guys are in great shape and they have been working very hard, so I anticipate that they will do excellent,” Hall said. “We have a very good team. Of course, we know that basketball has grown since we last won this tournament when Michael Carey was on the team and Buddy Hield came off the bench. So we just have to be prepared for anything.”

While Hield went on to become a lottery pick at No.6 in the first round of last week’s NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, Carey was featured on the men’s national basketball team that finished seventh at the CentroBasket Tournament in Panama.

Hall said they don’t have a crystal ball where they can look ahead and determine that there are some potential NBA or men’s national basketball team players included in this squad.

“They will all have to go out and determine their own destiny,” said Hall, who went on to post an exciting collegiate career as a point guard with Gonzaga College, taking the team to the NCAA Elite Eight.

“I know that we have a team that will go out there and compete. If they produce the type of performances that we saw from them in practice, I’m confident that we will have a very good chance to win.”

• This year’s team is

comprised of the following:

Guards – Devonte Jennings, Dominic Bridgewater, Detarrio Thompon, Alfredo Burrows and Joshua Cornish.

Forwards – Samuel Hunter, Derrio Burrows, Devonte Moxey and Christopher Johnson. Centres – Michael Cartwright, Chosen Levarity and Michael Williams.

Nigel Ingraham, one of the assistant coaches, indicated that the team assembled is a very balanced one.

“We can put the ball inside, we have good penetration, we could drive and kick it out to some great shooters and we have some good post players,” Ingraham said.

“So we have a good mixture of an in and outside game. We’re looking pretty good and I am confident that we can get the job done.”

Although this is the first time that Ingraham will be travelling on the national team, he said he is putting the country first and is eager to help to get the Bahamas’ flag raised at the end of the tournament.

“We are the best in the world and we are going there to prove that,” Ingraham said.

Also expected to travel on the team as a coach is Wayde Adderley, a former division one player at the University of Arkansas, who went on to play professionally for Real Madrid Spain and the Connecticut Pride in the CBA.

Anton Francis, a level 3 FIBA Certified, NPAVBA division II championship and high school basketball coach, will serve as the team manager.