The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The College of the Bahamas Caribs men’s basketball team, in preparation for their homecoming next weekend, will be heading to Florida to play in a series of collegiate games this weekend.

The Caribs, coached by Bacchus Rolle and his assistant Lavar Johnson, are scheduled to leave town today and will play against Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida on Thursday and against Florida Memorial University in Miami on Saturday.

The team returns home on Sunday.

“We’re going to be just as organised and systematic as last year,” Rolle said. “We will have a little more up tempo because we are a little more smaller. We lost our power forward Alvano Laing to graduation and we haven’t filled that spot as yet.

“He was really the rock of the team and so we have to run a whole lot more. Our guys will have to be ready to go 40 minutes running, pressing D (defence). The team is similar to what it was last year, with the exception of Laing, who was our best rebounder and provided some big points in the paint.”

To their credit, Rolle said they have been working on their fundamentals because he wants to ensure that his team matches the same type of intensity that their opponents bring.

“Our biggest issue is we are not very patient and that has been one of our biggest systematic problems,” he said. “The other teams have been able to bring us down on defence because we are not patient.

“They wait for you to mess up and then they make their move. One miscue by you is two or three points by them. So we’re trying to get to the level where we keep our guys patient, especially against the zone. Man-to-man, our guys are athletic, so we can compete. But against the zone defence, you really have to pick your spot and make the right decisions at the right time.”

This year’s team is made up of players from New Providence, Grand Bahama, Exuma and Eleuthera.

Making up the team are the following:

Centre – Justin Munroe, a 6-7 junior from Jack Hayward High in Grand Bahama, who is majoring in physical Education.

Forwards – Rashad Wilmore, a freshman from NGM Major High in Exuma, studying tourism management; Rashad Sturrup, a 6-4 sophomore from St Augustine’s College, studying business management; Ujamaa Johnson, a 6-0 freshman from Kingsway Academy, studying business; Franklin McKenzie, a 6-2 sophomore from LN Coakley High in Exuma, studying civil engineering; Brian Jennings, a 6-2 sophomore from CV Bethel, studying architectural engineering; Kemsy Sylvestre, a 6-4 sophomore from South Broward High in Hollywood, Florida, studying physical education and Reuben Goodman, a 6-1 senior from Preston Albury High in Eleuthera, studying computer information technology.

Guards – Justin Smith, a 5-11 junior from Eight Mile Rock in Grand Bahama, studying physical education; Ramon Dames, a 5-10 sophomore from Eight Mile Rock, studying physical education; Jason Stubbs, a 5-11 sophomore from Tabernacle Baptist Academy in Grand Bahama, studying electrical engineering and Davon Adderley, a 6-1 sophomore from St Augustine’s College, studying bio/chemistry.

“We have a size concern, but we are going into our game against Ave Marie and I think we will match up pretty good against them. They have about two guards who are about 6-8, but they are not their best skilled players, so we will see if we can take advantage of that,” Rolle said. “They are a guard-oriented team, just like we are.  So we should match up good against them.

“Florida Memorial, we know what they have. They have size and they are running. They added a few pieces, a few bigs, but we are going to hang onto them and see if we can keep it close and respectable and try to come out with the win.”

On their return home, the Caribs will host Trinity College at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium in a two-game series November 4-5.

“We beat Trinity last year in Florida,” Rolle said.

“We know that they are coming to show that it was just luck. They actually won their conference that they play in, so they really want to show that our win was a fluke.

“So we have to show our guys that they can’t get their heads too big, thinking this is going to be the same team.

“We know that they are going to be coming with some intensity and fire wanting to win. This weekend should really help us to get ready because we really don’t want to lose in front of our home crowd next weekend.”