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THE JAMAICA Basketball Association (JaBA) hosted a trial, minus its big NBA stars, at the National Stadium courts over the weekend, from which coach Rick Turner will select a squad of 18 for a training camp before the 2027 World Cup pre-qualifiers in Mexico in August.
It was expected that some of the NBA stars such as Nick Richards and Norman Powell would be present at the trial; however, JaBA President Paulton Gordon explained that the NBA players are already well known bys Turner, who wanted to look more at players he wasn’t too familiar with.
“We had nearly 60 persons who came out for the trial, and the coach will now make a decision in terms of a training camp, which will happen a few days before the August 8-10 pre-qualifying tournament.
“The known players we have, like Nick Richards, Josh Minott, Norman Powell, and Kenton Facey from Europe, who everybody knows about, didn’t come to this trial. Those players will not join until the training camp.
“He will have a look at them (trial players) again, and then he will inform them later on what their statuses are. But he (coach) is targeting 18 persons for the training camp,” he revealed.
Gordon said that from the 18 to be named for the training camp, they will select the best possible 12 to go to Mexico, where the top two from a group which also include the hosts Barbados, and Costa Rica, will move on to the qualifiers in November.
“Of the 50-plus players that came on Saturday, he (coach) invited about 40 back on Sunday. He will now finalise the squad for the training camp, and then he will finalise the team to go to Mexico.”
The more seasoned professionals, such as Powell, Minott, Richards, Kenton Facey and, Romario Gill, are expected to be at the final training, which could also include former college star Kofi Coburn, who, it is also said, could be joining the squad.
However, Gordon emphasised that it was important for the coach to see all that he has available before the qualifiers are in full swing.
“A lot of the players in the NBA will be active in November, and that is why we want to have as wide a pool as possible, players playing both internationally and in Jamaica,” he said.
English (US) ·