B-ballers get shot at ‘schols’

ASPIRING basketballers between the ages of 17 and 25 years old, will have a chance at scholarships in the United States when ex-Duke University shooting guard Phil Henderson stages his inaugural Reebok/Accurecruit.com Caribbean College Talent Showcase here next month. Henderson, president of Basketball Worldwide, recently hooked up with Reebok and leading US-based Online Recruiting/Scouting Service Accurecruit.com, and decided to conduct what he calls Talent Showcase at the Maloney Sports Complex from July 26 to 30. But it will cost each youngster $600 to participate, and the talent showcase will be limited to the first 100 players to be registered.

Applications have became available already at the Maloney venue, but registrants have until July 23 to pay the full fee. According to Henderson, “players must treat the showcase as their job interview, so they must be in great shape mentally and physically.” Players will be divided into ten per team, which will ensure each will get a minimum of 20 minutes per match. Henderson said, Reebok will provide participants with team uniforms and water bottles, while Accurecruit.com will film all practice sessions and games, so video footage can be viewed by US college coaches and scouts for player evaluation.

The action gets underway at Maloney from 1 pm, and the aspiring basketballers will be under the charge of Bob Bolen, head coach of Mountain State University, winners of this year’s National Association of Intercollege Athletics Division One, beating Concordia University, California 74-70 in the final. As a result, Bolen was named NAIA “Coach of the Year,” Basketball Times “Coach of the Year” and West Virginia AP College “Coach of the Year.”  His team finished with the best record of any US college — 38-1. Bolen said: “I look forward to sharing my past experiences and knowledge to showcase to participants, coaches and fans, and will offer a MSU scholarship to a talented Caribbean recruit before I return.”