By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MEN’S national basketball team head coach Chris DeMarco liked what he saw from the players in attendance at the training camp in Houston, Texas.

More than 20 players are participating in the camp that will conclude today before the team is cut and headed off to Europe to begin the trek towards the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain, in July.

“It’s been great. We have one more practice, but it’s been a great week. We had a lot of guys in, trying to get the top 20-25 Bahamian basketball players here.

“I think we did a great job. The Bahamas Basketball Federation, LJ Rose, our general manager and Moses Johnson and the rest of the coaching staff organised a very well attended camp. The talent in the gym has been exceptional.” As they had off for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, scheduled for July 1-4 in Valencia, the team will travel to Greece to play in two exhibition games during the Greek Basketball Federation’s Acropolis Tournament June 25-27.

The Bahamas faces off against Montenegro first on June 26 and then the national team will take on the host country on June 27.

DeMarco said their task is now to trim the team down to the 12, but they will probably take at least 15 players from a list of players in the camp that include VJ Edgecombe, Donnie Freeman, AJ Storr, Deyton Albury, Sammy Hunter, Keino Burrows, Lourawls Nairn, Buddy Hield, Deandre Ayton and Eric Gordan. 

“Obviously, we know what’s at stake and the challenges ahead of us, but we want to make sure that we put the best 12 players available to us so that they can compete in the qualifier in Valencia,” he stressed. 

Fo0llowing the trip to Greece, DeMarco said the team will have to Valencia where they will continue their preparation to play against Poland and Finland in their pool competition at the Olympic qualifier.

“Our whole goal is building chemistry and be as prepared as possible when the games count,” DeMarco said. “Obviously, we think we can play with anybody. We proved that last summer

“But there’s a lot of growth for us. We still have to build chemistry with this new team. We have to make sure we’re sharp defensively and offensively..

“We still have a lot to cover, but it was great to get everybody in the same place and for us to get together and to get to know each other. Now it’s time for us to get to that next step and get ready for Spain.”

Looking at the caliber of players in the camp, DeMarco said the players “toughness, our physicality and our versatility” will make a difference when they ply their exhibition games before the tournament starts.

“The stakes are really higher now going into the tournament,” he said. “So we have to be prepared from all areas of the game.”

If there’s anything lacking, DeMarco said it would be the time they had to prepare the team, considering the fact that they have added some new faces to the team that eon the pre-Olympic Qualifier last year in Argentina. 

“You always want to be prepared as best as you can and experience does that,” he said. “But if there’s any concern, it would be our time together. That’s why it was so important for us to try and build our chemistry together this week.” 

As an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, DeMarco said he was glad that free agent Klay Thompson came along and made a contribution to the team in practice in Houston.

“It was great to have Klay here. We all know how passionate he is sbout the Bahamas, although he won’t be able to play with us,” said Demarco of Thompson, who won’t get a release from USA Basketball to play with the Bahamas team in the Qualifying Tournament.

“It was good for him to be out there and working out with the team. I think the players also enjoyed the time he spent with us. We wanted to have him included in what we’re doing, so to have him there only elevated our practices.”

DeMarco, however, said he has all of the confidence in the team and he’s convinced that they will go to Valencia and get the job done.

If the team qualifies, they will become the first team sport for the Bahamas to compete in the Olympic Games. This year’s games are scheduled for July 27 to August 11 in Paris, France.

The Bahamas is hoping to have representation in track and field, swimming and possibly boxing, along with basketball, if they qualify, for the Olympics.