The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the team assembled, head coach Mikhail McLean said there's only one goal for The Bahamas men's national basketball team and that is to "win" their opening game tonight against Jamaica.

The Bahamas will complete its first round of the FIBA Americas 2027 World Cup Qualification when they host Jamaica tonight at 8pm at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium and Puerto Rico on Monday at 7pm. 

The Bahamas, ranked at number 40 in the world, is currently 1-3  in Group B. In their previous meeting, Team Bahamas knocked off Jamaica 99-96 in Jamaica on February 26, but lost to Puerto Rico 71-66 on March 1. 

In their only other match-up in the group, The Bahamas lost to Canada 111-75 on November 28 and 94-88 on December 1.

McLean, who has taken over the head coaching job from American Chris DeMarco, who is now the head coach of the New York Liberty and Grand Bahamian Jonquel Jones in the WNBA, said the public will be pleased with the line-up they will have on the floor tonight.

"We have a good group. We will have our guys on the floor. We will be ready to rock and roll," said McLean, noting that they waited until the deadline last night to submit the names of the players on the team.

"We will play some exciting basketball, fast paced, shooting a bunch of threes and defending and rebounding. We will be displaying our athleticism and toughness."

The team is coming off a mini-camp in Miami, Florida, where McLean said the coaching staff got to view all of the pros and vets and the young guys like Franco Miller, Domnick Bridgewater, Samuel Hunter and Deyton Albury.

"We have a lot of guys who can play multiple positions and we have VJ (Edgecombe), Eric (Gordon), Kai (Jones), DA (Deandre Ayton) and Buddy (Hield). Everybody is ready to do their thing.

"We have a combination of the NBAs, the guys playing overseas in Europe and we have a couple of guys in college, so we have a great mixture. It would be very exciting to watch the show."

The team named last night includes Garvin Clarke Jr, Domnick Bridgewater, Franco Miller Jr, Buddy Hield, VJ Edgecombe, Eric Gordon, Samuel Hunter, Kenwan Smith, Deyton Albury, Jaraun Burrows, Leono Rolle and Kai Jones. 

With all this talent assembled here at home, McLean said it's important that the public comes out and cheers on Team Bahamas tonight.

"We can't look to the next one. This first one is the most important one," said McLean about tonight's matchup against Jamaica. "We have to handle business for this first game and then we will look at the next one.

"We were just trying to take it one game at a time but, at the same time, we're trying to focus on Jamaica. We haven't said one thing about Puerto Rico this whole time. We have to handle business tonight and then we will prep on Saturday and get ready for Monday."

With what he called a talented roster, McLean said the coaching staff have all been a part of the Bahamas Basketball Federation in the past, either as a player, coach or executive.

"To have (Lourawls) Tum Tum (Nairn), Charles (Allen), Nashad Mackey, Mychie (Thompson), Willis Mackey and Moses Johnson and all that he has done, along with (Rodney) Crippy (Wilson), who has been a part of this organisation for 40-plus years still leading the charge with our general manager, LJ (Rose), I have nothing to worry about. I have a great group behind me as well."