It's back to the drawing board for the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) regarding the senior men's national basketball team. The situation speaks to the lofty expectations for the team during the recently concluded Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships, that placing second indicates The Bahamas underachieved.

Federation executives and others may differ with this point of view, but the history of The Bahamas in basketball points to the potential to be better than any other Caribbean nation. Add to that fact, defending champion and tournament favorite status prior to the start of competition in host country British Virgin Islands (BVI) last week.

I wish to take nothing from the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). The USVI has always been overwhelmingly influenced by the United States, in basketball, in particular. Potential wise though, the view here is that The Bahamas has always had a better talent pool. We still do, despite the defeat on Sunday by the score of 71-65. The result to my way of thinking underscores that it is imperative that BBF executives get with it and do what is necessary (legally) to put the best combination on the court. Get the funding that would allow longer training camps so that the players can better bond with each other and be an ultra cohesive unit on the floor no matter which players are sent into the game.

If it makes sense to have more seasoned and upscale coaching leadership, then, see to that necessary arrangement. There ought to be encouraging words for the players and the coaches. They placed second and qualified for the higher level of competition event, Centrobasket Tournament next year. They had a backcourt problem however, and we have a wealth of quality Bahamian guards.

Coach Gladstone "Moon" McPhee has it quite right.

"Gone are the days when the federation can expect players to come home without being offered all of the amenities their peers get when they return to their national team environments. We should be covering travel expenses, hotel accommodations, adequate in-land transportation and other gestures. This is the time we are living in. I can tell you that 40 years ago when I was in charge of basketball, I brought players in and put them up in hotels. That was many years ago," pointed out McPhee.

In truth, sponsors such as Dashwell "Dashy" Williams and James White ensured that teams representing Grand Bahama were given "high class" treatment. In Grand Bahama today, old timers speak fondly about those days. Fast-forward to today and there is a climate that does not bode well for the best teams being assembled. This is why I refer often to the huge challenge facing the federation.

"There is no way we should be losing to any other Caribbean country if we are at full strength, but you know, I wonder if the BBF's executives and the coaches really have it and know what to do. Maybe, they just don't know how to maximize the potential available to them," McPhee further stated.

For sure, the only way to erase the doubts about their collective capacity is to ensure that the best basketball teams available go forth to represent The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, going forward.

-To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at sturrup1504@gmail.com

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