By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER two successful exhibition games and a training camp this past week, head coach Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn said The Bahamas men’s national basketball team is prepared for the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup.

The team, which was named yesterday, will be playing at the Polideportivo Alexis Arguello Arena in Managua, Nicaragua, from August 22-31.

The team, coming off two successful exhibition games against Nicaragua, will be playing its opener against the United States of America on Saturday at 3:40 pm, followed by Brazil on Sunday at the same time and then Uruguay on Tuesday at 4:10pm.

According to Nairn, a former national team player who has been given his first assignment as head coach for this team, the players are all eager and ready to go.

Named to the team are Domnick Bridgewater, Jaraun Burrows, Franco Miller, Lathaniel Bastian, Wilkenson Isnord, Radshad Davis, Garvin Clarke, Sammy Hunter, Kentwan Smith, Joshua Dames and Isaiah Mobley.

Joining Nairn on the coaching staff are Addie Walters, Michael Thompson, Rashad Mackey and Willis Mackey. 

“We’re looking pretty good. We had a few days to actually practice and pick up stuff that we need to do and to play together as a team,” Nairn said. “So I think we’re looking pretty good.”

From their sessions together, Niarn said the players have been very receptive to what he and his coaching staff have been trying to implement.

“I think this is a group that is willing to pass. We had 52 passes in the first two games of the scrimmages against Nicaragua,” he pointed out. “So that is very encouraging.

“In our practices, we continued to move the ball and continue to compete on the defensive end of the floor as well. So these guys have been doing a great job working out together.”

Against the USA in the opener, Nairn said it will certainly be a big test for Team Bahamas.

“They are the number one team in the world, but I’m excited about the challenge for us,” he pointed out. “They will have a lot of shooters on the floor and they can run a lot of different things defensively.

“But our guys are excited and ready for the chal;enge. In the last window when we played them, the game was close in the first half, but it kind of got away from us in the second half. We just have to clean up the mistakes we made for this one.”

Without the services of the National Basketball Association players such as Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield, DeAndre Ayton, Kai Jones and Eric Gordon, along with head coach Chris DeMarco, Nairn said the Bahamas still have a quality team that can compete in this tournament.,

“This is a very great group of guys. All of them are professional players and they love playing for the Bahamas,” Nairn said. “They play for each other, so I’m very excited about the guys here. I’m excited to see what we can do.”