Monday, November 18, 2019

Deyton Albury, no.11, with teammates.

Deyton Albury

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITH very little chance to celebrate his first taste of victory as a high school football state champion on Friday night, Deyton Albury was on the court on Saturday making his successful debut as a basketball player for the Sunrise Christian Academy Buffaloes.

#As a running back and wide receiver, Albury helped the Buffaloes come back from a 24-point deficit to nip Destiny Christian Academy 52-50 in double overtime.

#Albury finished the game in his rookie season playing football with a pair of touchdowns.

#“We expected a good game and we came out with the victory,” said Albury of their team, coached by Vincent Martin.

#Deyton’s father, Michael Sr, called his son’s performance nothing but spectacular.

#“I wasn’t surprised. Like I said before, when Deyton plays a game, he plays to win so once his team-mates have the same mentality and are hungry for it, as he is, I know victory is in sight,” he said.

#“His performance was very impressive. For a first time rookie football player, he definitely left his mark out there. He had two touchdowns, even though he had a slight hand injury in the game.”

#Playing through the pain, Albury was superb as he netted 22 points with four steals and four rebounds as the starting point guard to lead Sunrise Christian Academy to a 56-51 win over Putnam City.

#He eventually had to leave the game and get some treatment on the hand, but there was no greater feeling for Albury than to come out with the victory.

#“It was a good feeling to finally get back on the basketball court,” Albury said. “Today’s game (Saturday) was just an adjustment game for me to get used to my team-mates and the American system. It was a good game, scary in the fourth when we were down by 24, but me and my team-mates pulled through.”

#Albury, whose father and mother, Denise Albury, took him out of Temple Christian where he excelled in basketball up to grade 11 to complete his senior year in the United States, said it was good to get the conditioning in and learn how to keep his composure when things are down.

#“I’m expecting a good all-around season, knowing it’s my first year here,” he stated. “I hope to be putting up some good numbers this year.”

#The Buffaloes basketball team, coached by Luke Barnwell, are expected to return to action Tuesday.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Deyton Albury (No.35) with one of his Sunrise Christian Academy teammates.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#ALTHOUGH he already made a name for himself here with the Temple Christian Suns, Deyton Albury’s father Michael Albury felt his son could achieve a lot more so he sent him off to Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel-Aire, Kansas to complete his senior year of high school.

#While he left on August 15 after completing grade 11 to improve on his skills as a basketball player, Albury knew that he would also have to make an impact for the school’s football team and today, he will be leading them into their Heartland Christian Athletic Association’s State Championship game after they completed a relatively good regular season.

#“I sent him off to get more exposure on the court internationally to improve his basketball skills and to receive more intense training to better prepare him for the next level in his basketball career,” said Michael, who along with his wife, Denise, felt they certainly made the right choice.

#At 6-feet, 2-inches, 17-year-old Albury, known as the high flying guard when he played for the Suns, coached by Nigel Smith, admitted that making the adjustment was quite easy because he knew a lot of people, who made him feel just as comfortable as if he was still at home. “The biggest change I had to make was adjusting to the way they teach and handle business at school,” said Albury, when compared to what transpired at Temple Christian, which he noted was quite different in comparison to the two schools, without going into any details.

#As for football, Albury said he’s looking forward to today’s game as he hopes to continue his trend of averaging at least two touchdowns a game in order to help Sunrise Christian Academy secure another win when they take on Destiny Christian Academy at 8pm.

#Sunrise Christian Academy advanced to the final after pulling off a 44-22 rout over the Claremore Christian out of Claremore, Oklahoma in their playoff game last week.

#“It’s been a great season so far,” stated Albury, who surprisingly posted 18 touchdowns and rushed for over 1,000 yards with four punt returns for touchdowns in his rookie season.

#“Hopefully we can go all the way and win the title.”

#Win, lose or draw, Albury is looking forward more to the basketball season that will start after football is completed. He hopes that he can put up the numbers and produce the kind of season that would impress the scouts to offer him a division one scholarship to attend one of the major universities next year.

#“They’re looking for me to be a good team player and allow me to play my game,” said Albury, of the expectations of the coaching staff at Sunrise Christian Academy.

#“The adjustment is hard, but I just have to manage my time well to be able to get time in both sports. But obviously, I want to pursue basketball more.”

#Albury has a younger brother, Michael Jr, who is following in his footsteps, but who desires to become a pilot, as opposed to Deyton, who wants to pursue a career as a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), or at least on the European circuit.

#Michael Jr is a 14-year-old 10th grader at Teleos Academy and a prime candidate to play on the Bahamas junior national team as a point guard and defensive specialist next year.

#Last June, Deyton Albury, along with Romad Dean, received the opportunity of a lifetime when they were selected to represent the Bahamas at the 10th Basketball Without Borders camp, hosted by the National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Colombian Basketball Federation (FCB) in Medellin, Colombia.

#In July, Albury and Dean also represented the Bahamas on the national team that participated in the FIBA Centrobasket Under-17 Boys Championships at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

#The team, coached by Quentin ‘Three Ounce’ Hall out of Grand Bahama, secured the bronze medal with an 85-83 victory over the Dominican Republic to qualify for the 2020 FIBA Under-18 Championships.

#Albury was the leading scorer for Team Bahamas with 28 points on 12-for-24 shooting from the field.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Deyton Albury (No.35) with one of his Sunrise Christian Academy teammates.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#ALTHOUGH he already made a name for himself here with the Temple Christian Suns, Deyton Albury’s father Michael Albury felt his son could achieve a lot more so he sent him off to Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel-Aire, Kansas to complete his senior year of high school.

#While he left on August 15 after completing grade 11 to improve on his skills as a basketball player, Albury knew that he would also have to make an impact for the school’s football team and today, he will be leading them into their Heartland Christian Athletic Association’s State Championship game after they completed a relatively good regular season.

#“I sent him off to get more exposure on the court internationally to improve his basketball skills and to receive more intense training to better prepare him for the next level in his basketball career,” said Michael, who along with his wife, Denise, felt they certainly made the right choice.

#At 6-feet, 2-inches, 17-year-old Albury, known as the high flying guard when he played for the Suns, coached by Nigel Smith, admitted that making the adjustment was quite easy because he knew a lot of people, who made him feel just as comfortable as if he was still at home. “The biggest change I had to make was adjusting to the way they teach and handle business at school,” said Albury, when compared to what transpired at Temple Christian, which he noted was quite different in comparison to the two schools, without going into any details.

#As for football, Albury said he’s looking forward to today’s game as he hopes to continue his trend of averaging at least two touchdowns a game in order to help Sunrise Christian Academy secure another win when they take on Destiny Christian Academy at 8pm.

#Sunrise Christian Academy advanced to the final after pulling off a 44-22 rout over the Claremore Christian out of Claremore, Oklahoma in their playoff game last week.

#“It’s been a great season so far,” stated Albury, who surprisingly posted 18 touchdowns and rushed for over 1,000 yards with four punt returns for touchdowns in his rookie season.

#“Hopefully we can go all the way and win the title.”

#Win, lose or draw, Albury is looking forward more to the basketball season that will start after football is completed. He hopes that he can put up the numbers and produce the kind of season that would impress the scouts to offer him a division one scholarship to attend one of the major universities next year.

#“They’re looking for me to be a good team player and allow me to play my game,” said Albury, of the expectations of the coaching staff at Sunrise Christian Academy.

#“The adjustment is hard, but I just have to manage my time well to be able to get time in both sports. But obviously, I want to pursue basketball more.”

#Albury has a younger brother, Michael Jr, who is following in his footsteps, but who desires to become a pilot, as opposed to Deyton, who wants to pursue a career as a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), or at least on the European circuit.

#Michael Jr is a 14-year-old 10th grader at Teleos Academy and a prime candidate to play on the Bahamas junior national team as a point guard and defensive specialist next year.

#Last June, Deyton Albury, along with Romad Dean, received the opportunity of a lifetime when they were selected to represent the Bahamas at the 10th Basketball Without Borders camp, hosted by the National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Colombian Basketball Federation (FCB) in Medellin, Colombia.

#In July, Albury and Dean also represented the Bahamas on the national team that participated in the FIBA Centrobasket Under-17 Boys Championships at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

#The team, coached by Quentin ‘Three Ounce’ Hall out of Grand Bahama, secured the bronze medal with an 85-83 victory over the Dominican Republic to qualify for the 2020 FIBA Under-18 Championships.

#Albury was the leading scorer for Team Bahamas with 28 points on 12-for-24 shooting from the field.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Michael (left) and Deyton.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IT seems as if there will always be a debate in their home on Shrimp Road, Carmichael Road, as to who will be the better basketball player between brothers Deyton and Michael Albury Jr.

#While older brother Deyton was holding court at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, with both the Buffalos basketball and football teams, younger brother Michael Jr has been holding his own here at home for the Teleos Cherubim basketball team.

#Deyton Jr, 18, was looking forward to his graduation from high school this year with his family in attendance.

#But due to the spread of the coronavirus, he returned home and had to watch the virtual ceremony online. “The people who live in the states was able to go, but I wasn’t able to go because I came home in March,” said Deyton, who had to watch the ceremony last week with his family at home. They were originally scheduled to travel to Kansas for the ceremony.

#“I really wanted to graduate at school with my friends and family, but there was nothing I could do about it. That is always a memory you want to have, graduating. I guess I will have to wait to do it at college.”

#Deyton, who stands at 6-feet, 2-inches, is now faced with the task of deciding where exactly he will be playing college basketball. He’s still waiting on his final transcript as the offers continue to pour in from schools around the United States.

#“I’m still waiting to play some more basketball in July so I can increase my options on where I will go,” he said.

#Before schools were closed and all sporting activities came to a halt as a result of the virus, Deyton was able to help his Buffalo’s team earn a 17-3 win-loss record as he averaged about 25 points, five rebounds and five assists as they played in a number of tournaments,.

#“I am glad to be home through this virus,” Deyton said. “I’ve been watching a lot of film on basketball and trying to stay in shape as I can improve on my game.”

#After watching the success of his younger brother, Deyton said he just wants to continue to be the role model for him to emulate.

#“This year, Mike had a better record than me when I last played here for Temple Christian,” said Deyton, who left the Bahamas last year. “I was a junior at the time as well. We went 14-0 and won the BAISS junior title.”

#As for his transitional year in the United States, Deyton said it was all about learning the different cultures because of the many international students who attended Sunrise Christian Academy,

#“I also had to learn how to dish out out the ball more and playing in front of a lot of coaches, who were there to evaluate your game,” he said. “I learned a lot playing overseas.”

#Whenever sports resumes after the COVID-19 pandemic ceases, Deyton said he anticipates that there will be some changes around the game of basketball, but he’s eager to see what the future holds.

#“Once this is done, I just want to be able to get into a good school,” he said. “But the first thing I want to do is get into a gym and get in some workout sessions, with or without my brother.”

#Michael Jr, who at 14 is 5-10, said it was great being a part of the perfect 28-0 season that Teleos enjoyed this year.

#“We went to Long Island where I played on both the senior and junior teams and we won both titles,” he said. “We also won the Small Schools championship, so it was a good season.”

#Yet, as he looks up at the performance of his older brother, Michael Jr admitted that Deyton set the pace.

#“He has the potential to be very good. I want to be like him,” Michael Jr said. “We don’t argue yet about who is better. We just practice and train together whenever we get a chance so that we can get better.”

#Their proud father, Michael Sr, said he and his wife Geniece, say they couldn’t ask for anything more from their two talented sons.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

BROTHERS Deyton and Michael Albury Jr.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IT’S not every day that you see two brothers excelling in the same sport at the same time.

#Deyton and Michael Albury Jr are the exceptions.

#While Deyton Albury is now at Sunrise Christian Academy making his presence felt for the Buffaloes basketball team in his final year as a high school student, Michael Jr is holding court for the Teleos Academy Cherubims.

#The brothers have left their father Michael Albury Sr bursting with excitement about what the future holds for his family.

#“I am very proud of both of my boys, Deyton and Michael Jr,” said Albury Sr.

#“Every game they play, they end up being one of the top players and it doesn’t come as any surprise.

#“Deyton is at Sunrise Academy now and is excelling on their Select team. I’m sure one day Mike will be transitioning very soon, if not at SCA, definitely in the US.”

#Albury Sr and his wife, Denise, made the decision to move Deyton from Temple Christian Academy at the end of the 11th grade and shipped him off to Bel Aire, Kansas State, Kansas.

#While he waited for the start of the basketball team, Deyton suited up for the Buffaloes to play an important role on their football team as they captured the state title in November. Although he just caught on to the game in a short space of time, Deyton is looking forward to duplicating the feat as he tries to help the Buffaloes capture the basketball title next year.

#Averaging 24 points per game, Deyton Albury produced 15 points with eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals in the Buffaloes’ last game played over the weekend as they improved to 5-1 with a 78-71 victory over Bethel College.

#“I had a good game because, in that game, I was getting more of my teammates involved early,” said Albury, who scored 29, 27, 25, 26, and 19 in their previous games played. As he continues to make his contribution to the success of Sunrise Christian, Albury said he intends to do a year of prep school in the US before he looks at entering college.

#In the meantime, he’s just as thrilled to watch the performance of his younger sibling. “My little brother, as usual, had a good performance leading his team in scoring and doing his thing on the floor,” Deyton pointed out.

#All that he learned, Michael Jr said he got inspired by watching his bigger brother. “I am very proud of my big brother’s performance,” he said.

#“I wasn’t interested in basketball until Punks (Deyton) made me play with him on our court at home when we were four and seven years old.

#“Since then, I looked up to him and respected him on the court. He has taught me all I know.”

#Michael Albury Jr is now honing his skills with Teleos where he said they have a mixture of new and old players, but they are jelling like a well-oiled machine.

#“I am playing a sport that I have grown to love so every time I go on the court, I go with great enthusiasm and it shows in my stats at the end of each game,” Albury Jr said.

#Albury Jr, a 14-year-old 10th grader, is averaging about 15 points per game as he leads Teleos to a perfect 5-0 win-loss record so far this year.

Friday, March 15, 2013

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#OUR Lady’s Blue Flames, one of the two Catholic primary schools preparing for closure for good in June, added another Phil Smith Basketball Challenge title to their collection as they held off the surging Carlton E Francis 20-18 in the final of the fourth annual primary boys basketball tournament.

#The week-long tournament, organised by the Providence Basketball Club, saw the St Bede’s Crushers, the other Catholic school facing closure, capture the consolation third place with a 23-21 overtime victory over the Temple Christian Suns in the only other game played Thursday at CI Gibson Gym.

#The Blue Flames jumped out to an impressive 11-2 lead, thanks to the six points from Francesco McKinney and five from Deyton Albury.

#But Carlton E Francis, playing in their sixth final for the school year, stormed back in the second half and in the final two minutes (running time) managed to come within two before Garvin Clarke had the opportunity to win it with a three-point attempt just before the final buzzer. But the ball fell short as it hit the front of the rim as Our Lady’s celebrated.

#“Carlton E Francis is a very good team. We played them twice. They won one and we won this one,” said Blue Flames’ coach Rohan Parks. “This is a tournament we always like to play. We won the first one last year. This is our second time winning it.”

#Albury and McKinney, who was named the most valuable player, both finished with eight points. “I felt very good because the team played excellent,” McKinney said. “Carlton Francis is a very good offensive team. They came back, but we held onto the lead. I was surprised how good they played, but we played very hard to win and made history, winning the title again before our school close.”

#Noted Albury: We played with confidence and we extended our defense and we controlled the ball excellently. It feels wonderful (winning the title).”

#For Carlton E Francis. it was the third time in their six appearances in a final that they fell short, but coach Sherman Smith said this one hurt the most because they fought so hard to get back into the game.

#“We started off a little slow. For the first half, we didn’t score a field goal,” he said. “We still came back hard in the second half and lost by two points. If we had played our game in the first half, we would have won it.”

#Javon Woodside had a game high 11 points, all coming in the second half to fuel their comeback. Clarke ended up with seven.

#Crushers 23, Suns 21

#Blaize Darling scored all four of St Bede’s points in overtime as they outscored Temple Christian 4-2 for third place. The game was tied 19-19 at the end of regulation.

#St Bede’s led 12-8 at the half as Darling came through with five. He finished with a game high 17 and was joined by Jorden Freemantle with five.

#“I feel good, very good, due to the lack of preparation because of the off season,” St Bede’s coach Ricardo Freemantle said.

#“But we came out and we remembered the things that we did in the regular season and we applied that to win.”

#Rolian Santilus had 10 in a losing effort.

#In addition to the team awards, the organisers handed out the individual awards that went to Mateo Taylor from Our Lady’s for most rebounds, Nathan Moss from Temple Christian for most steals, Deyton Albury from Our Lady’s for most assists, Rolien Santilus from Temple Christian for most blocks, Blaize Darling from St Bede’s as the most offensive player and Francesco McKinney from Our Lady’s as the best defensive player.

#The All-Tournament team members are Blaize Darling, Jorden Freemantle, Garvin Clarke, Javon Woodside, Najee Winder, Rolian Santilus, Deyton Albury, Francesco McKinney, Nicholas Strachan and Chandon Kelly.

#The regular season MVP was Garvin Clarke and the coach of the year was Rohan Parks.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

#GARRETH Edgecombe hit the final two baskets to enable the Temple Christian Suns to hold off the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine in one of the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ marquee senior boys’ basketball games played so far this year.

#With Edgecombe’s heroic efforts, the Suns shined past the Big Red Machine 48-46 on Monday at St Augustine’s College.

#With the win, Temple Christian improved to 6-1, while SAC slipped to 5-2.

#“It was a very competitive game. They definitely came out and gave us their best effort,” said Jamal Smith, head coach of Temple Christian, of the challenge they received from SAC. “They frustrated us on both sides of the ball, but ultimately we were able to go on a run in the late half of the second half and stretch the game.”

#The Suns are shining this year, having only lost just one game to the St John’s Giants and the way they are playing, Smith is confident that they can be a contender in the playoffs.

#“We want to make sure that in our last couple of games, we are locked in and focused on making the playoffs,” Smith added. “So right now, we just want to clean up on our defence and our communication and our play on both ends of the court. Once we can do that, I think we will be in a good position to compete well in the postseason.”

#Jason Edwards, head coach of the Big Red Machine, said it was a game that they let slip away from them. But he vowed that it won’t hamper their mission to get into the playoffs and contend for the title this year.

#“The game was a hard-fought game. We just made a few turnovers down the stretch,” Edwards said. “Experience played a pivotal role down the stretch, in terms of taking care of the ball. We just missed too many free throws.”

#Edgecombe finished with nine points, but Deyton Albury led the Suns’ attack with a game high 23 points. Christian Sturrup contributed 12.

#SAC’s only other defeat came at the hands of St John’s, who got 16 points from Brian Lockhart. Tyler Moncur and Ricky Moxey both had five and Aaron Sands added four.

#Incidentally, while St John’s beat both Temple Christian and St Augustine’s College, they suffered their only loss to the Queen’s College Comets.

BACK TOGETHER AGAIN: Shown (l-r) are Deyton Albury, coach Jamal Smith and Garrett Edgecombe.

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#For the first time since they were members of the Temple Christian Suns about two years ago, coach Jamal Smith got a chance once again to work with point guard Deyton Albury and forward Garrett Edgecombe.

#The trio hooked up last week to participate in the first in a series of AAU basketball tournaments for boys in the United States. As a part of the Carolina Defenders, they went 3-0 in a tournament in North Carolina.

#This weekend, the Carolina Defenders will be back in action at the Big Shots Tournament at the Myrtle Beach Sports Center in South Carolina. They start playing on Thursday with games shown live on demand at BallerTV.com.

#“This is like a reunion because when we were at Temple Christian, we had an awesome team,” said Smith, who spent the past year in the United States coaching basketball.

#“These guys in particular showed a lot of promise and that they had the ability to play at the next level. So being in a position where I am in a position with the Carolina Defenders, I am glad that I could give them the platform to display their skills.”

#Smith, who relished the days he coached the duo at Temple Christian, said Albury and Edgecombe will have a chance to play against some of the top high school players who have been recruited by division one basketball this year.

#“For Deyton, in particular, I think he had a very strong year at Sunrise Christian Academy and so I expect him him to just build on that,” Smith said.

#“The competition level is good for him. I think he will rise to the occasion and be the player that we have known him to be. He just has an awesome weekend and an even awesome month.

#“When it comes to Garrett, I expect him to be the same kind of defensive force that he was when he played for Temple Christian. This is going to be an adjustment period for him because with his size, he will have to play more on the wing, but I think he can adjust to it.”

#After being sidelined from his Sunrise Academy team since March due to the spread of the coronavirus that halted all sporting events worldwide, Albury said it was good to be back in the United States and playing again.

#“I was happy to get back on the court and playing basketball again,” said the 18-year-old Albury, who left town on July 1 when the borders reopened to get acclimated with his new team.

#During the month of July, the Carolina Defenders are expected to participate in at least five tournaments and at least 30-40 games. Hopefully, they will be successful where they can end up playing in another tournament in August to wrap up the tour.

#“A lot of the tournament directors are taking the necessary preventive measures. They check your temperatures at the door and you must wear your mask to get in,” Smith said.

#“The spectators are limited because they are only allowing a few to come in and watch their team when they play and you have to leave the gym when you are done. So they are trying to deal with the social distancing to prevent any outbursts.”

#With all of the safety measures in place, Albury, who was a two-sport star at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel-Aire, Kansas where he was featured on their state championship football team, said he’s just concentrating on playing basketball.

#“I’m just happy to be on the court,” stated the 6-foot, two-inch guard.

#“I’m not worrying about it. I’m wearing my mask and sanitising, so I’m good. I feel safe in the environment we’re playing in.”

#As for his performance so far where he averaged about eight assists, seven steals and 12 points, Albury said he just wanted to get back in the flow of things as he reunited with Edgecombe and Smith as they prepare for the Big Shots Tournament this weekend.

#“We’ve been playing together for a long time, so the chemistry was always there between us,” said Albury of teaming up with Edgecombe on the court. “It’s just a matter of getting into the rotation with the other guys and seeing how they play.”

#Edgecombe, an 18-year-old six-foot, three-inch forward, said it was good to be playing with Albury again, especially since they haven’t done anything since the start of COVID-19.

#“Every player on our team has been holding up their end of the bargain,” Edgecombe said. “I feel like me and Deyton will make a big difference on this team because we know how each other play.

#“The tempo is a lot faster than I expected, but I’ve made the adjustment. It just feels great to be back on the hardware floor playing basketball again. I’m liking it.”

#Albury, who graduated from Sunrise Academy with a 3.50 grade point average, said when they got the news that they would also be playing for coach Smith, they got even more excited because they remember the success they enjoyed at Temple Christian.

#And Edgecombe said despite the fact that there’s very little fans in the stands to cheer them on, they feed off each other and that has been one of the reasons for their success so far.

#“For the tournament coming up, I expect that we will finish on top and we can go as far as we can go as a team,” Edgecombe said. “Coach Smith has really been a big inspiration for us too.”

#While Albury left Temple Christian to complete his high school days at Sunrise Christian Academy, Edgecombe moved on to Galilee Academy. Both are looking at playing at two different prep schools in South Carolina over the next year before they look at entering the collegiate ranks.

#Carolina Defenders, according to Smith, have about four players who combined have already received over 30 division one offers. He said they have an all-around team that can shoot the ball and play solid defence.

#So based on the personnel they have with the addition of Albury and Edgecombe, they should be able to continue the winning streak that they started last week.

Monday, July 13, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#COACH Jamal Smith liked what he saw in the reunion of guard Deyton Albury and forward Garreth Edgecombe at the Big Shots Myrtle Beach Tournament in South Carolina over the weekend.

#The two 18-year-olds, who are heading to two different prep schools in South Carolina, made their presence felt in the three games they played in so far for the Defenders.

#The Defenders won their opener 70-66 over the Dallas Seawolves on Thursday. Albury was the team’s second highest scorer with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Edgecombe added eight points.

#On Independence Day on Friday, the Defenders lost 70-66 to the Big Shots Elite Tri-Cities 17 as Edgecombe turned out to be the second highest scorer with 10 points. Albury was held to just eight.

#And in their third game on Saturday, the Defenders lost again (69-52) to the Flight 22 Elite UA Rise 17. Once again, Albury finished with eight and Edgecombe added three.

#Despite his numbers, Albury was named the Player of the Game in all three games.

#Smith, who reunited with both Albury and Edgecombe since he last coached them at Temple Christian about two years ago, said they performed very well.

#“Deyton had a couple of games where he matched up well against some division one players and he performed very well,” said Smith of Albury. “He took care of the ball and he showed that he is capable of playing at this level.

#“As for Garreth, he’s making the adjustment to the wing and he performed very well. All in all, I was very leased with the way they both played. They came in and gelled well with the team that we had in place.”

#The Defenders closed out play in the showcase on Sunday, but results were available. Smith said the good thing is that both Albury and Edgecombe got to display their skills to over 200 coaches, who got to live stream the event.

#This week, the Defenders will be participating in the National AAU Tournament that starts today at the same venue in Myrtle Beach. The Defenders first game will be played on Tuesday. The tournament will run through Sunday.

#Albury, a graduate of Sunrise Christian Academy, is looking to enroll in a Prep school before he decides on which college he will participate for next year.

#“We’re still trying to get the chemistry back, but individually the performances were good,” Albury said. “Every time I get a chance to play against the high level competition, I try to make the most out of it.”

#With an average of 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Albury said he was able to hold his own in the showcase. He noted that it was extra special doing it alongside Edgecombe.

#“We haven’t done it in a long time,” said Albury of Edgecombe, who transferred from Temple Christian to finish his high school at Galilee Academy. “Every time we get a chance to get on the court together, we play like we did before.

#“We still had the chemistry and we got to get each other involved in the offense, which was good for our team. We hope that we can continue to gel together for the rest of the summer in the tournaments ahead of us.”

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Zane Knowles

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#BAHAMIAN pro basketball player Zane Knowles is on the move again this offseason.

#The seven-year veteran reached an agreement with Baikesir Buyuksehir Belediyespor of the Turkish Basketball League for the upcoming campaign.

#In a busy 2019-20 season, Knowles played in three leagues and two countries before the COVID-19 pandemic brought basketball to an end globally.

#He concluded the campaign with Levski Lukoil of the Bulgarian NBL League. In just two games with the club he averaged 13 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

#Prior to Bulgaria, he began the season with PAOK Thessaloniki in the Greek Champions League where through 12 games he averaged 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. In Greece he also played 16 games in the Greek A1 League where he averaged 9.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

#In 2018-19, Knowles was in the French ProB League with Etoile Charleville-Mezieres.

#In 27 games with the club he recorded 9.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

#Knowles spent his first pro season with Siarka Tarnobrzeg and King Wilki Morskie Szczecin of the Polish Basketball League or Tauron Basket Liga, the highest level of pro basketball in the country. He has also played professionally in Japan (Tokyo Cinq Reves and Wakayama Trians) where he averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 24 total appearances before making the move to France.

#He spent his freshman year at Grambling, where he was hampered by several injuries and followed with a brief stint at Pearl River Community College. Knowles completed his final two years of eligibility with the Texas A and M Corpus Christi Islanders.

#Coming out of Texas A and M Corpus Christi, Knowles was drafted by the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G-League in third round (68th overall). He also participated in the G-League’s Star’s Open Tryouts before being cut in training camp and eventually signing in Poland.