The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WHEN the American Basketball League debuts its “Bahamas division” this summer, Bahamian basketball players will have an opportunity to play professionally at home for the first time.

The 2014 ABL Season is scheduled to commence June 1, 2014 and the league’s expansion into the Bahamas will feature four 10-player teams which will play their 18-game schedule in New Providence.

The first step toward the player search to fill team rosters will be an ABL Draft Camp, hosted January 11 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

ABL commissioner Eric Newsome said the historic partnership between his league and the locally based Capital City Marketing will usher in a new era of opportunities for Bahamian basketball players.

“We want to get the top 40-42 guys on the island. In order for us to have a good camp where we can evaluate the kids properly, our target number is around 42. Last year we had a camp in San Antonio that had 112 guys, which is too many and we can’t evaluate anybody like that, that’s not good for the guys,” he said. “Ideally we want a 5-6 hour camp where our scouts can evaluate everyone thoroughly and the guys can get what they came there for. What we can do is have a series of camps rather than have everyone show up and we’re not able to evaluate properly. The camp will identify who is who and we can evaluate their skills to really begin their scouting process.”

Newsome said the league was to provide opportunities for increased exposure for players looking to work their way toward a professional basketball career.

“Basically what we wanted to do in the states is develop an avenue for basketball players that have played in high school or college at a certain level and what we wanted to do was give them a way to extend their playing career. We have a lot of contacts in Europe, South America and we feel that most of the guys that would like to continue their playing career would have a better opportunity to go overseas,” he said.

“We had six teams in Florida, six teams in Texas and the idea came up to extend this idea overseas and the natural spot was the Bahamas because I know personally, that there are a lot of young guys in the Bahamas with the potential to play at the professional level, but they have just been in obscurity. They may be on the island playing but are not getting the recognition or scouting that they need. In pro basketball, the only thing between a basketball player and a contract is exposure and opportunity. That’s what the American Basketball League is all about.”

As the league will look to field four teams for the division, Newsome said he expects a highly competitive draft camp to target and identify those 40 players.

Newsome said there was one Bahamian player who has already benefitted from a season playing in the ABL.

“Last year we had Anwar Ferguson from Exuma and he was the first pick in our draft last year. I saw him play in at least 10 games and that kid should be in the NBA no question about it. I’m sure there are more Anwar Fergusons. We saw him at our San Antonio, Texas draft camp. He had to go all the way down there to get noticed, but this would create easier opportunities for local players here,” he said.

Ferguson, who played in college for the Houston Cougars, is currently a member of the Saitama Broncos in the Japanese - BJ League where he is averaging 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

Feguson has also played in the NBA’s D-League, and played professionally in Mexico and Georgia.

The ABL draft is slated to be held in April 2014.

Each team will select four players in the draft while the remaining six roster spots will be filled through free agency.

Deputy Commissioner of the ABL-Bahamas Division, Larry Wilson, said the Draft Camp is open to all Bahamian players.

To maintain amateur status, high school players and players wishing to compete at the collegiate level in the future will not be eligible for the ABL league.

“The players have to see the vision and understand that they are not just paying to go and play basketball. They are paying toward an end goal to hopefully make a team where they will be paid to play and secondly get an opportunity to be scouted and play in a professional league,” he said.

“I would like to incorporate players from the other islands but of course there are transportation issues but the camp is open to all Bahamians no matter where you live. Having been involved with basketball for many years, travelling with national teams and seeing us play against other teams where they have professional leagues, we were always able to compete with those teams. Everyone who is involved with basketball knows that we have a lot of talent in this country, it’s just the opportunity, being in a position to be spotted. If we can get one Bahamian guy into a professional league from this I will be happy.”

The ABL will not run concurrently with the New Providence Basketball Association and league president Keith Smith, said his players and coaches eagerly anticipate the opportunity.

“Some of our players have played professionally, some of them are just returning from playing college ball, the league also has a lot of high school players and will be a great opportunity for the league’s players to showcase their talent so that they can be spotted. I know many of them have aspirations for furthering their basketball career so it is a great opportunity for everyone,” he said. “I have discussed it with my coaches and they are excited about, the players are excited about it.”

Bahamas Basketball Federation vice president Mario Bowleg highlighted the benefit the league will have to the men’s senior national team programme.

“For the federation it provides with an opportunity to identify the top players here locally and now they have a chance to play for some monetary funding. It will also help the national team programme because we will now be able to ensure that most of our players that play pro ball will be home in the summer time because they can now come home and make some money playing and we can put forward the best team possible,” he said.

“The BBF is pleased to be working along with the NPBA and the ABL to improve the development of basketball in the country by providing a higher level of play and entertainment for the country at large. We know that there are talented players and talented coaches who will also be involved in this process as coaches of these teams. It gives Bahamians a chance to see what professional basketball looks like aside from what they see on television with the NBA.”

Players interested in the camp can contact Bowleg and the BBF at marbowe_2804@hotmail.com or Capital City Marketing at www.ccmbahamas.com