The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE inaugural Caribbean Tip-Off Classic gave Bahamians a chance to see the next two rising young talents in Kai Jones and Samuel Hunter as they prepare for the collegiate ranks next year.

But the tournament also put the spotlight on the high school basketball programme here in the Bahamas and why it’s so important for the players to improve their level of performance.

One thing any coach will tell you is that you can’t teach height.

But compared to the visiting teams that participated, the local teams from St Augustine’s College, CV Bethel Stingrays and CI Gibson Rattlers, as well as Tabernacle Baptist Falcons and St George’s Jaquars out of Grand Bahama, discovered that they were in a totally different realm against their peers.

None of the teams from the Bahamas had the height to match the visiting teams, which put them at a disadvantage the minute they stepped onto the court in the games played at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium over the weekend.

To compensate for their deficiencies, very few of the teams were able to make the adjustment to shooting the ball more from the outside as opposed to trying to take it inside in the land of the giants.

Many people in attendance questioned why more of the local teams were not matched against the visiting teams, but it was quite obvious that none of them would have stood a chance.

The tournament should serve as a learning lesson for the teams that participated as they prepare for the start of private and government school leagues later this month.

The Caribbean Tip-Off Classic was organised by the Bahamas Basketball Federation through Steve Barnes, who has served as the technical director for the past six years.

Also sharing into the organising of the tournament were the Caribbean Sports Travel and the host Courtyard Marriott Hotel.

Jones and Hunter, just two of the players returning home to play with their high school teams in the United States and Canada, have benefitted from the system and have shown vast improvements in both their height and games.

Not to discredit the coaches here, but these players have left the confines of home and decided to continue their basketball journeys in organisations and systems that enable them to flourish with more games and stiffer competition to compete in during the season.

Both have committed to their respective division one colleges with Jones going from Brewster Academy in New Hampsire to the Texas Longhorns and Hunter from BC Christian Academy in British Colombia, Canada to the Old Miss Rebels.

Who knows if they would have gotten the same opportunity had they opted to stay here at home and continue playing in the local system.

The tournament drew a few NBA and collegiate scouts, who were on hand to watch some of the talent on display, especially from the teams that came in to play.

Hopefully, some of the local players would have ceased the opportunity to perform for them. But they may find themselves in an uphill battle as players with height are being sought after more than ever.

With the way the game is progressing in the National Basketball Association with players attaining heights of an average of six-feet running the point guard position, there’s not much room for the small man anymore. Unless he is super talented.

BSF Nationals

THE Bahamas Softball Federation hosted its national round robin tournament over the weekend at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The event was held in honour of Eddie Ford, an ailing former baseball/softball player turned umpire, who was on hand for the official opening ceremonies.

The tournament only attracted three women and four men, well down from the average of 6-7 teams that participated when softball was at its highest peak.

Federation president Ted Miller admitted that while the numbers were down, the competition was still of a very high calibre, which enabled the fans to stick around in large numbers until the champions were crowned.

He indicated that they are going to work closely with those island associations missing in action to ensure that they are in the line-up for 2019.

According to Miller, there are also plans to reintroduce the All-Star Classic, which would allow the islands to assemble their best players and bring them to compete in the tournament as they did in the past.

The All-Star Classic may just be the impetus to get the island associations to focus on running a regular season as well in order to be ready for the national round robin.

So I hope that the BSF can get more of the affiliated island associations to compete again in what used to be one of the most competitive nationals over the years.

And yes, it was so good to see Ford, considering the fact that he has been in and out of the hospital and is now convalescing at his home on Windsor Lane.

Naming this year’s nationals in his honour was well-deserving.

But what would be even more appropriate is if the powers that be could rename Windsor Park to the Ford Park as their family has produced so many memories from their residence across from the Wulff Road, East Street and Windsor Lane property.

Condolences to

Sweeting family

TRIBUNE Sports wishes to take this opportunity to extend our deepest condolences to the family of the late Franklyn ‘Cinderella’ Sweeting, who passed away during the week at the age of 76.

Sweeting has brought a lot of stories to our pages from the baseball diamond. While I didn’t get to watch him in his prime, I heard about it.

I was able to witness him in action as a coach in both baseball and softball.

He was very knowledgeable about the game, having playing it at a high level on the international scene as one of the country’s premier pitchers.

He eventually got to coach and watch some of his offspring follow in his footsteps in his sons, Frank Sr, Theodore and Felipe and his daughter, Deandre, was also an outstanding player.

The Sweetings have been one of those household names when it comes to sports in the Bahamas and a lot of what they achieved rested on the shoulders of their late patriarch.

We will remember the late Franklyn Sweeting Sr.