Turner optimistic as Jamaicans chase NCAA tournament spots
Published:Wednesday | March 9, 2022 | 12:10 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
As many as three Jamaican basketball players could feature in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, with national senior men’s basketball coach Rick Turner believing that they are part of the future of the programme for major tournaments and beyond.
University of Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn, Sienna College’s Jordan Kellier and Unversity of Memphis’ Josh Minott will be contesting their respective conference championship tournaments this week to secure a place in the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament which begins on March 15.
Illinois, who won a share of the Big 10 regular-season title, is projected to be selected regardless of their performance in the Big 10 championship tournament, but Sienna (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) and Memphis (American Athletic Conference) will need to win their tournaments to be guaranteed a spot.
Turner has managed to watch some of the Jamaican college players live during the 2021-22 campaign, not only to continue expanding the national player pool, but also to emphasise the support they will have from him in their personal growth.
“The purpose of me going to see those guys was just to let them know that we are behind them, get a chance to talk to them after the game and just to check in. Let them know that we are thinking about them and are a part of a great future for Jamaica Basketball. As we build this programme, you want to have as large a pool of players to draw from as you can have,” Turner told The Gleaner.
Cockburn, who returned for his junior season, is averaging 21 points per game, second-best in the conference and is leading the conference in rebounds per game (10.6).
Kellier, who transferred from the University of Utah last season, has managed to get more playing time at Sienna, playing 21 games this season and averaging 3.8 points per game. His season-high came when he scored 11 points against Saint Peter’s in both meetings on December 5, 2021, and again on February 20.
Minott has provided a spark for Memphis in his rookie season, playing 28 games including five starts and averaging 6.9 points per game. His season-high was 18 points in their win against Tusla University in January.
While noting that the players have each managed their own individual journeys well to have this opportunity, he says Cockburn will have the most to prove this year, hoping to go one better than their second-round exit last season.
“When you have someone like Kofi in the middle who can dominate glass and be a physical presence. And then the way that Illinois got knocked out early last year, I’m sure that they are going into the tournament and not taking anyone for granted. They can make a surprise run,” Turner said.
Turner has reiterated the importance of a large player pool for future international tournaments, as he said that they encountered challenges in personnel in last year’s World Cup qualifiers. Turner says that Minott and Kellier can write their own success stories as they seek to book a spot in the 68-team tournament.
Illinois, the reigning Big 10 champions, will begin their title defence on Friday. Meanwhile, Kellier and Sienna will open their MAAC tournament on Thursday while Minott and the Memphis Tigers will also start their AAC tournament campaign on Thursday.
The 68 qualifiers for the tournament will be announced this Sunday.