NEW CHANGES or a return to tradition?
The National Sports Council [NSC] is actually banking on both to revive schools’ basketball.
One-time perennial title contenders O’Level are expected to make their long-awaited comeback to competition as the United Insurance Under-19 Tournament showcases a revamped opening ceremony tomorrow at the Wildey Gym.
Led by Premier League players Dario Cumberbatch, Taurean King and Darren Adams, the traditional schools’ power is assumed to be ending its five-year hiatus this season although the Roebuck Street institution hadn’t paid registration up to press time.
“We needed to get O’Level back into the competition because the sport is in crisis,” reasoned NSC senior coach Derek Aimey.
“Over the years there has been a significant fall-off in participation at the school level. Gone are the days when you can just give out a trophy.”
At the height of its powers in the 1990s, O’Level proved a perfect feeding ground for the schools’ Premier League and national programmes, with graduates Kelvin Patterson, Zahir Motara and the deceased Kirk Patrick representing the last national team in 2009.
But O’Level’s likely return won’t be the only major shakeup this season.
Twenty of the tournament’s best players across both divisions will suit up for the schools’ All-Star game, following an innovative two-man shooting competition that bounces off tomorrow’s opening ceremony at 3 p.m.
A variation of the NBA’s All-Star Weekend’s Shooting Stars Competition, each participating school sends two players to compete together while taking shots from various spots on the court.
“In discussing with the sponsors last year, we felt that the opening ceremony was getting too drab so we’re trying to do things a little differently,” said Aimey of the format change.
“In the recent past we would just sit down and watch an opening game but someone almost always got blown out.”
Queen’s College’s Ryan Holford and Shakira Shorey of St Lucy will man either bench for the All-Star game as the champion coaches of the first and second division, respectively.
They will also help the NSC coaches in selecting the players for the showcase.