Confident Jamaicans target title repeat

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

With two days to go before the start of the Caribbean Basketball Championships, Ajani Williams, president of the Jamaica Basketball Association, says his players are bubbling with confidence as they prepare to defend their title.

The Jamaicans, who won the championships in 2009, will start their title defence against Antigua and Barbuda in the opening game of the tournament, which will be held in The Bahamas, starting on July 23.

"The guys look pretty good because the chemistry is excellent compared to the year when we won the title, and I expect to do fairly well," Williams said.

"Everybody is in a confident mood and the players have been going through their paces under coach Richard Polack, and it is for them to go and compete at their optimum best," Williams said.

He noted that head coach Sam Vincent will join up with the team on their arrival in The Bahamas on Friday.

The president added that they would not take their opponents lightly, since the Antiguans have finished as high as third in the championships twice in the last decade.

The Jamaican team has been strengthened with the likes of overseas players Patrick Ewing Jr and Rohan Reid. Andrew Whilby and Linval Brown are the only local-based players who will be making the trip to The Bahamas.

"Our weaknesses have been at the point guard and leadership spots, but now we have a very strong point guard and the players are a lot more mature now," Williams said.

Both sides are contesting Group A of the competition, which also features the United States Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The team is schedule to leave the island tomorrow for the tournament.

Contested

The top three teams will advance to the Centro Basket Championship, which is contested between the top eight countries in the Central American and Caribbean region.

At the end of the Centro Basket Championship, the top four teams in the men's competition will secure berths in the FIBA Americas Zone Championships.

From the Zone Championships, the top three teams will go on to the World Championships or the Olympics, whichever is held first at the completion of the latter event.