The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER posting their activities a week ago, the New Providence Basketball Association has confirmed that the Godfrey McQuay All-Star Classic is now set for Friday night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium with two additional events included in the package.

The classic, originally scheduled to be contested in conjunction with the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association, is being held in memory of the late McQuay, a former coach in the league with the Rockets organisation.

“This year, we are going to have three specialists contests,” according to league president Keith ‘Belzee’ Smith. “We will have the skills challenge, the slam dunk contest and the three-point shooting contest. It should be a very exciting evening for us. We are looking forward to it.”

Smith said they were hoping to join forces with the NPWBA to put on a joint event at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, but it didn’t materialise. While the men are going to go back to the AF Adderley Gymnasium for their classic on Friday, the NPWBA is slated to hold its All-Star Classic at the DW Davis Gymnasium on Saturday night.

“We are going to still collaborate with them for games in the future, but we have just decided to put the All-Star game on the back burner for now,” Smith said. “They have an exciting night planned and we are looking forward to our night, so it should still be a very good weekend.”

• For the three-point shooting, the following players have been selected to participate:

William Rigby - Real Deal Shockers; Lerecus Armbrister - Mail Bot Cybots; Cruz Simon - Patron Regulators; Randy Williams - Y-Care Wreckers; Tameko Moxey - Pyramid Food Rockets; Lorenzo Carter - Y-Care Wreckers; Kendrick Curry - PJ Stingers and Kevin Hinsey - Commonwealth Bank Giants

• The competitors for the basketball skills competition are as follows:

Lamont Armaly - Real Deal Shockers; Elvardo Burrows - Commonwealth Bank Giants; David Taylor - Pyramid Food Rockets; Lenny Oscar - Double R Cleaners; Kevin Wright - Island Luck Pros and Tevin Hudson - PJ Stingers

• Selected for the Slam Dunk contest are as follows:

Able Joseph - PJ Stingers; Gameliel Rose - Patron Regulators; Daniel Bullard  - PJ Stingers; Devon Ferguson - PJ Stingers; Livingstone Munnings - Island Luck Pros and Delano Knowles - Mail Boat Cybots.

The All-Star Classic will be coached by teams with the best win-loss record.

• Coaching the Vince Ferguson Division are James Price of the Real Deal Shockers, assisted by Don Dorsette of the Patron Regulators and Wayde Watson of the Mail Boat Cybots.

Named to their team are the following:

Ernest Saunders and Jeremy Hutchinson - Mail Boat Cybots; William Rigby and Floyd Armbrister - Real Deal Shockers; David Taylor and Christoff Stuart - Pyramid Food Rockets; Livingstone Munroe and Adorn Charlow - Island Luck Pros; Gamaliel Rose and Kenneth Pratt - Patron Regulators and Justin Smith and Reuben Goodman - College of the Bahamas Caribs.

• Perry Thompson of the Commonwealth Bank Giants will be the head coach of the John Archer Division. He will be assisted by Lavardo Bowleg of the PJ Stingers and Donnie Culmer of the Y-Care Wreckers.

Players selected to the team are as follows:

Michael Bain, Kevin Hinsey and Mark Hanna - Commonwealth Bank Giants; Devon Brennen and Craig Bowe - Rhythm Rebels; Able Joseph, Devon Ferguson and Jervon Atkins - PJ Stingers; Taveres Roker and Randy Williams - Y-Care Wreckers and Lenny Oscar and Raynard Minus - Double R Cleaners.

“We have the skills challenge, which will be for the smaller players like the guards who will be going through the obstacle course as they dribble through a maze in a 24-second shot timing, make lay-up before they are done,” Smith said. “We also have six participants in the slam dunk contest and six in the three-point shooting contest.

“The feature will be the game between the John Archer All-Stars and the Vince Ferguson All-Stars,” said Smith, who noted that they were pleased to have received support from Wemco Security, the Royal Bank of Canada and Commonwealth Bank. “We are doing this on behalf of coach McQuay.

“He has made a tremendous contribution, not just on the court, but also off the court. The Rockets team is a part of his contribution and they are very pleased that we are doing this for him. His name is still current between the younger ball players coming up the ranks. I think it’s very timely and very deserving as his legacy continues to live on through those who have come under him.”