By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas senior men’s national basketball team is gearing up for the second window of the FIBA Americup 2025 Qualifiers.

The team will go on the road to face Cuba and the USA in two away games in just two days.

Playing out of Group D, The Bahamas will take on Cuba at 6pm on Friday, November 22 in the Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportivo in Havana, Cuba. The team will then commute to Washington DC on Monday, November 25 to face the USA in the Entertainment & Sports Arena at 7:10pm. Moses Johnson, who served as head coach in the first window, is expecting Team Bahamas to pull off upsets against Cuba and the USA.

“Preparations are going well. You should be seeing 24 names very shortly. The team is narrowing down, coaches are being selected. We are really poised and ready to go down and beat Cuba and also upset the USA in this upcoming window,” Johnson said.

The Bahamas currently sits in a four-way tie with Puerto Rico, USA and Cuba in the Group D standings with a 1-1 win/loss record.

The team split a pair of games in the home-and-away series against Puerto Rico in February. 

The team, led by Bahamian big man Kai Jones, bested Puerto Rico 88-77 in the away game. However, Puerto Rico returned the favour, winning 86-67 at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium. 

Jones played a pivotal role for Team Bahamas during this window. He averaged 13.5 points per game, 8 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 68.8 per cent from the field in the two games played.

Team Bahamas will be without his services this time around as he is currently playing for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association.

Although the 24-member roster has not yet been released, Johnson is confident that the calibre of guys selected can get the job done.

“I am very confident because the calibre of players that we have representing the country that are playing professionally are doing exceptional jobs in all of their leagues... The guys who are rookies like Samuel Hunter, Nathaniel Bastian and some of these guys that are just playing their first game professionally are doing an exceptional job so we are very pleased with the calibre of players coming to represent the country,” he said.

The Bahamas will certainly face an uphill battle during the second window of competition. Team USA is currently ranked second on the FIBA Americup 2025 Qualifiers Window Two Power Rankings. Cuba is ranked at number nine while The Bahamas sits in the twelfth spot.

Coach Johnson said continuity will play a big role in The Bahamas picking up some key wins in this second window.

“Our guys would have played together over the course of the last several windows. The core of our guys is still intact, we may add one or two new guys which will add even more to the pool. We are looking forward to the continuity being the same because these guys played together for the last several windows,” he said.

All four teams in Group D will be battling to qualify for the FIBA Americup 2025. Only the top three teams will advance.

The FIBA Americup 2025 will be played at the Alexis Argüello Sports Centre in Managua, Nicaragua.

The games can be viewed live on https://www.courtside1891.basketball/competitions/americup-2025.