The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

COACH Jamaal Smith could not have been more pleased with the performances of Bahamian basketball players Deyton Albury and Garreth Edgecombe as they wrapped up play with the Carolina Defenders in the series of AAU Tournaments over the weekend.

Playing in their final Big Shots Charleston Summer Classic on Saturday and Sunday at the North Charleston Athletic Center in Charleston, South Carolina, the Defenders fell short of advancing to the final by losing 83-81 to the Big Shots South Carolina - U-17 Premier in the semi-finals. They opened the tournament with a 55-40 win over the RockNation Impact 2021 and followed that with a 79-69 rout over the Harts Select in their second game.

Albury, the 6-foot, 2-inch guard, averaged 14 points per game with eight assists and 3.4 steals and he was named the most valuable player of their second game before he went to be selected to the All-Tournament Second Team. Edgecombe, a 6-3 forward, averaged 16 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game and he was the MVP of their first game with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Smith, who previously coached the two 18-year-olds when they attended and played for the Temple Christian Suns in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools up two years ago, said their performances were stellar.

“I think we had a very productive weekend. This was probably their best weekend we’ve had in the tournaments we’re played in,” said Smith, who helped to coach the Carolina Defenders through at least five tournaments from July 1 when they reunited.

“We gelled very well as a team and we got some good production from everybody. Both Deyton and Edgecombe were in positions over the weekend where their performances were rewarded by being named MVP and to the All-Tournament team.”

With the players transitioning into their respective high schools and colleges/universities as the new school year get underway in the United States, the tournament was the last for the Carolina Defenders for the summer.

“The more we played, our chemistry got better. We played like the team that everybody knew that we were capable of playing. So I think there’s some great things for these players moving forward,” Smith said.

“I feel the competition that Deyton and Garreth got will definitely help prepare them for their future as they prepare for the prep college level. Right now because of what’s happening with the boarders because of Covid-19, they will stay put here with me for a while, getting their training as they make their final decisions on their prep schools at the end of September.”

Both Albury and Edgecombe will also have an opportunity to decide where they will end up plying their collegiate basketball next year. According to Smith, Edgecombe, a graduate of Galilee Academy, has received several offers from division two schools. Meanwhile, Albury, a graduate of Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel-Aire, Kansas, has been offered scholarships at least three division one schools.

“This was a different type of summer for them as far as basketball is concerned because they spent the whole time playing against division one talent,” Smith said. “They were able to go up against some of the top highly recruited guys in the United States and they showed that.

“They were able to be matched against some of the guys who ha e already received their athletic scholarships and they proved that they can play at that level.”

Based on the way they played in the tournament, Smith said he’s confident that both Albury and Edgecombe will go on and excel at the collegiate level.

“For Garreth, I feel his future is extremely bright. I feel he can easily be a division one player once he continue to work on his craft,” Smith said. “He just need to continue to play the wing position because he had an excellent summer, especially given the circumstances of not having a full year of basketball at the high school level in the United States.

“As for Deyton, he came on strong as the tournament went on and we got to see another ide of his game as far as his playmaking ability at the guard level. I think on top of what he’s known for as a dynamic scorer, he played the point guard at a very high level.”

The tournaments were played as basketball continue to make its way back to some competitive level since taking a break like all sports around the world in March due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, Smith noted that the organizers made sure that everybody was safe as they got their temperatures tested, observed the social distancing rule and wore their masts whenever they entered the gymnasiums. He admitted that they were all pleased with the protocols established and the manner in which the games were played.