BBF looks to send strong team to Puerto Rico

The Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) is looking to field a top-level roster for their second window in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) AmeriCup 2022 Qualifiers in San Juan, Puerto Rico, slated for November 29-30.

Team Bahamas is set to open play against the United States of America (USA) on November 29 and the following day they will play the hosts, Puerto Rico. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FIBA has decided to host the Group D games in a bubble format that also includes Mexico in that location.

According to the BBF President Mario Bowleg, the federation has gotten confirmation from National Basketball Association (NBA) players, Sacramento Kings guard, Chavano “Buddy” Hield and Phoenix Suns center DeAndre Ayton. It is also up to their NBA teams to give the OK  for them to play in the tournament.

The other confirmations that they have received were from Mychal Thompson Jr., Travis Munnings, David Nesbitt, Norris Nathan Bain Jr., D’Shon Taylor, Willis Mackey, Dominick Bridgewater, Jaron Cornish, Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn, Godfrey Rolle, Shaquillo Fritz, Michael Carey, Rashad Mackey, Danrad Knowles, Kentawn Smith, Eugene Bain and JR Cadot.

“This is the best chance we have to have our NBA players play. This is the chance to secure the win now. Hopefully with the home crowd in February, we get another win and secure our spot,” Bowleg said.

They sit in second place in Group D and a loss to USA and a split to Puerto will keep Team Bahamas in second place.

Bowleg also said this is one of the best teams that they have fielded in recent years, but the team will be selected based on matchups with their opponents.

“It will be but at the same time, you have to look at who you are playing against because we felt that the last team we put together to play Mexico, that team was actually designed to beat Mexico. It was not a matter of better players. Knowing the style of play they play and how we needed to play to beat them was how we put the team together. That is the same thing we are doing right now,” Bowleg said.

The head coach for the team is Chris DeMarco, who will be making his debut at the helm for The Bahamas for the first time in competition. He sat on the bench as an assistant coach previously. DeMarco was named the head coach back in June 2019. He is an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA.

DeMarco’s assistants will be Norris Bain, Perry Thompson Jr. and Moses Johnson. Eugena Patton will be the team’s trainer and Elvardo Kemp will be the manager.

Unfortunately, the BBF has about six of its players home here locally who do not have the opportunity to use the facilities at Kendal Isaacs National Gymnasium or even one of the local high school gyms to prepare themselves for the tournament. This is a pathway to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

“We have written to the competent authority and requested to use the facilities as of November 2 (today). The facilities are sitting there and they are not being utilized at this time. Based on FIBA protocols for the pandemic, we had already put those in place to ensure athletes are tested prior to entering the training camp. For some reason, I have not been able to get a positive response from the competent authority as to the reason why. We are preparing a national team to represent the country and we are unable to have access to those facilities and the competitions is within the next five weeks.”

This is their biggest hiccup – no access.

He is still waiting on a report. The last report he got from Timothy Munnings, director of sports, said that the approval was not granted. Bowleg is pleading to the competent authority that this is the country’s doing and not the federation’s nor Bahamas Olympic Committee’s team.

As big as Kendal Isaacs gym is, Bowleg said, he does not see why six players can’t enter the facilities with that size and ensure social distancing is still enforced. They are not having contact play but personal training to get into condition and then the team gets together, and they put a system in place. Bowleg said the guys are out of shape because they do not have access to a weight room or a basketball gym. If they do not get access, they will be entering the window very underhanded.

“The world does not stop – the world continues,” Bowleg said. “I think only in The Bahamas, we think that when it comes to sports that the world comes to an end. I can’t see why not just basketball but track athletes who are individuals can’t train.

“I think the sporting bodies should come together and sit down with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture to figure out a way forward. We can see that there are things in place that help other countries around the world to continue sports and allow them to be played in some capacity. There are protocols that can be put in place and we can adapt some of these. There are also non-contact sports that can still be played but the decisions have been made for COVID-19 to shut down sports. There are protocols in place to ensure safety. FIBA has done its job, the federation has done its job, now we are saying to the country to help us by doing their job.”

The Bahamas is in second place in Group D play with three points. The Americans sit above them with four points. Mexico has three points as well, but loses the tiebreaker to The Bahamas, and Puerto Rico rounds out the group with two points.

Team Bahamas needs to finish in the top three positions in its group to ensure they qualify for the FIBA AmeriCup 2022. In February, Team Bahamas will look to play host to both the USA and Puerto Rico once the COVID-19 pandemic allows it.

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