The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK — From humble beginnings to the apex of NCAA Basketball, Buddy Hield and Lourawls Nairn Jr recognise the impact they have had and continue to have on Bahamian basketball.

While Hield’s tournament run came to an end Friday night in the Sweet 16 at the hands of Nairn and the Spartans, he has been one of the most recognised names in Bahamian sports this year as he emerged as one of the top players in the NCAA.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ junior guard noted how the exposure from his season and tournament run has contributed to Bahamian basketball, particularly to the younger generation of up and coming players.

“I think this run and this season did a lot. Coming from where I came from, it was tough coming to America and playing in a Division I school. Especially with basketball because you have to get in the system early and it’s really a slim chance you get to come in and play and contribute at a high level,” he said. “It’s really a blessing and it shows how hard I worked to get to this point. I tell all the guys back home, just keep on working hard and believing you will get a chance. When you do, anything’s possible.”

He added that the dialogue on Bahamians playing at a high level can only bode well for the growth of the game at the grassroots level.

Nairn, a freshman guard for the Spartans, said he hopes his story can serve as inspiration for fellow Bahamian players with “hoop dreams.”

“I want to be proof to the kids back home, an example to them that you can be anything that you want to be, it doesn’t matter where you come from,” he said. “I’m just a kid from the Bahamas and I made it here. There are a lot of guys back home that are working hard, they just have to continue doing what they have to do to make it.”

As he sets his sights on the Final Four this weekend, Nairn reflected on the accomplishment and the role his faith continues to play.

“God is truly amazing. I thank him for what he’s doing in my life I’m a kid from the Bahamas starting under Tom Izzo as a freshman in the Final Four,” he said. “Words can’t explain the emotion I’m feeling. I know why it’s so surreal to me, because of where I come from. God is amazing and I don’t take these times for granted.”

Locally, Hield honed his skills with the Jack Hayward Wildcats in Grand Bahama, while Nairn was based in New Providence with the CR Walker Knights.

Both players have been members of the Bahamas’ national team programme and became teammates at Sunrise Christian High School in Bel Aire, Kansas, which has become a pipeline for Bahamian talent in recent years.

Hield signed with Oklahoma following his senior season at Sunrise and courted Nairn to do the same. However, he was eventually sucessfully recruited by Izzo and Michigan State.