The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS
Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AS he prepares for his transition from the collegiate to the professional ranks, talented point guard Deyton Albury said he's eager to continue to work with the development of the next generation of basketball players in the country.

Abury, 24, who just completed his collegiate tenure with the New Mexico Lobos basketball team, is home on a break as he also prepares to try out for The Bahamas men's national basketball team that will play their final two games of the FIFA World Cup Qualifier in July at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

On Saturday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, Albury was invited by Jurelle Munnings to stage a 15-minute clinic at her Island Youth Basketball League, while displaying his BallHeadHoops products for sale. 

"It was a great opportunity to meet some of the young, up and coming talented young Bahamian basketball players," Albury said."I remember my time and days being in these kids' shoes.

"So I think it's my time to show them someone who they can emulate and who wants to be there to mentor and show them the way. At the same time, I'm having some fun with them."

While staying for the duration of the Island Youth Basketball League's championship day, Albury said he was impressed with what Munnings has done with the programme, especially how well organised it was with the players wearing the different uniforms and playing the series of matches before they got their awards for the end of the programme.

As for his BallHeadHoops camp, Albury said he will be hosting an all high school event where he will select 40 of the top players in the country to participate.

"What they will do is they will nominate themselves on social media to promote themselves and I will select the players based on their reputation, winning and just feedback from coaches and players."

This is the second consecutive year that Albury will be staging the camp. He said he was very thrilled by the response he got last year and that he's eager to see the talent on display this time around.

"It was my first camp last year. I've never done anything like it before so I was just freestyling," he pointed out. "We put the players through a lot of college life situations, college life drills, just to see where their talent skills were.

"But this year, I expected to be much more organised. I have coaches coming in from all over the United States of America and some division one players and some professional players who will be spreading their knowledge of the game."

The camp will be based on a two-day clinic where the players will go through some division one drills and plays and on the third and final day, they will engage in a series of activities including the involvement of some of the top social media creators on hand.

Having launched his clothing line in January, Albury said it's trending now on social media as he offers for sale a number of items, including head bands, wrist bands, long and short tights, socks, compressor tank tops, shirts and short pants.

In the meantime, Albury said while he has been selected as one of the 24 players invited to the pre-camp workout in Miami, Florida, from June 24-30, he's hoping that he will be one of the final 12 selected to play in front of the home crowd during the matchups against Jamaica on Friday, July 3, at 8pm and Puerto Rico on Monday, July 6, at 7pm.

"It's going to be a fun environment and I expect the gym to be sold out, just because of the names that are on the list, but it will be a good opportunity for me to play here at home."
Just recently before he returned home, Albury was in Phoenix, Arizona, where he worked out at a National Basketball Association camp.

He said he's still waiting on a call and while he would love to fulfil his dream of playing in the NBA or its Developmental League, if the opportunity comes for him to play overseas in Europe, he will be willing to embrace it.

Before he graduated from New Mexico, Albury helped the Lobos to complete their season with a 26-11 win-loss record and a semifinal appearance in the NIT Tournament where they lost 74-69 to Tulsa.

The former Temple Christian Academy Suns player, who stands at 6-feet, 3-inches, transferred from Utah State. He started in 34 or their 35 games, averaging 11.7 points per game.