The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net Their careers have been tied together since junior high school and after a lengthy recruiting process, a pair of Bahamian basketball standouts will take their talents to Lubbock, Texas, to begin their collegiate careers as student athletes. Wannah Bail and Michael Carey have committed to Texas Tech and are expected to begin their NCAA careers as members of the Red Raiders in the fall semester. Bail and Carey - blue chip prospects on the high school basketball scene in Houston, Texas, for the past few years - were both members of the Frank Rutherford Elite Development Programme and selected to stay "in state" after being suited by recruiters nationwide. Bail, considered one of the top players at the forward position in the class of 2012, has been sought after by a virtual who's who list of NCAA basketball teams. He received offers from Houston, Arkansas, Auburn, FSU, Texas, Baylor, and Kansas. At 6'8", he is ranked 89 out of a possible 100 points, 35th amongst players at the position and 22nd overall in the state of Texas. The latest updated evaluations on ESPN.com has analysts speaking highly of Bail's athletic ability. "Bail has a world class body and matching athletic ability. He is a lefty that runs the floor effortlessly and can finish above the rim with great quickness and explosion on the break or from drop off passes created by dribble penetration," it stated. Carey, a 6'5" combo guard, is ranked 88 out of a possible 100 points, 52nd among shooting guards and his list of schools included Oregon, Arkansas, Baylor, and Houston. His ESPN.com analysis boasts of his size which serves him well at the guard position. "Carey is a strong and athletic guard that plays with great energy and urgency at all times. He is a competitor on both ends of the floor. Carey has great size and pushes the ball in transition with good pace," it stated. The duo was rumoured to be heading to Houston which would have paired them with fellow Bahamians Mikhail McClean and Danrad Knowles. However, scholarship issues led to the ultimate decision to commit to Texas Tech, a rebuilding team in the Big 12. The Red Raiders finally won their first game of the Big 12 season last Saturday when they beat Oklahoma by 18. After adding a multitude of newcomers when he took over as head coach for the Red Raiders last season, coach Billy Gillispie and his staff have already added five players committed for next season with the addition of Bail and Carey to a group that included two junior college players in center Rodrigo Silva and guard Daylen Robinson, as well as prep shooting guard Dusty Hannahs. Bail and Carey left the Bahamas together and attended a number of schools in the Houston area, ultimately landing at Lamar Consolidated in Rosenburg, Texas. They also played together on the AAU circuit for the Franchize All-Stars and were members of the Bahamas' FIBA Americas U-16 Championship team where Bail averaged 17.4 points and 14.2 rebounds while Carey averaged 21.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.