Thursday, November 8, 2018

BAHAMIAN high school gridiron star Michael Cartwright.

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#BAHAMIAN high school gridiron star Michael Cartwright re-entered the recruitment cycle and is once again one of the most highly sought after offensive lineman prospects in the state of Florida.

#Cartwright de-committed from the University of Indiana Hoosiers and during his final season for the Champagnat Lions in Hialeah, Florida, is once again eligible to join one of the many NCAA Division I football programmes seeking his services.

#“I would like to thank Indiana for recruiting me during my recruitment process and the entire Indiana coaching staff for making me feel like family the whole time,” he announced via social media. “But today I will be de-committing from Indiana University and reopening my recruitment for me to re-evaluate everything and to make the best decision for me as a person, player and most importantly a student.”

#Cartwright announced his commitment to join the Hoosiers last July.

#In the month of May alone, the 6’7″, 300-pound lineman received a new slate of eight offers from the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Kent State Golden Flash, UCF Golden Knights, UAB Blazers, Georgia State Panthers, Temple Owls, UMass Minutemen and Nebraska Cornhuskers.

#He previously received offers from the Tulane Green Wave, FIU Golden Panthers, Indiana Hoosiers, Marshall Thundering Herd, FAU Owls, Southern Mississippi Eagles, Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions and the Pittsburgh Panthers.

#The Lions are currently 5-5 and will face Miami Christian tonight in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A Tournament.

#Last season, the Lions won their second Class A Florida High School state title 24-7 over eight-time state champion Jacksonville University Christian.

#Cartwright, a former student at Aquinas College, has also blossomed into a three-sport star for the Lions. On the basketball court he averaged 12.6 points and 15 rebounds per game and in athletics, he became the school’s first multiple district champion in the shot put.

#Cartwright was also a member of the Bahamas’ 2016 Caribbean Basketball Confederation under-16 team that won gold in the British Virgin Islands.

Friday, January 25, 2019

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#IN the midst of his recruitment process, Michael Cartwright continues to receive accolades for a stellar senior season.

#The senior offensive lineman for the Champagnat Lions was named to the Miami Herald’s All-Dade Class 5A Independent Football First Team.

#The 6’6”, 293-pound offensive lineman recorded 65 pancake blocks on the season, most among any lineman selected to the first team. This week, he also picked up another offer from the North Carolina Central University Eagles.

#Champagnat finished as runners-up after a 28-20 loss to the North Florida Christian Eagles in the Florida High School Athletic Association State Championships Class 2A State Championship game.

#The Lions concluded the season with four consecutive wins to earn a trip to the state title game.

#Prior to the season, Cartwright, re-entered the recruitment cycle when he de-committed from the University of Indiana Hoosiers.

#He originally announced his commitment to join the Hoosiers last July but according to Cartwright, the second chance at recruitment gives him an opportunity to “re-evaluate everything and to make the best decision for me as a person, player and most importantly a student.”

#In the month of May alone, he received a new slate of eight offers from the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Kent State Golden Flash, UCF Golden Knights, UAB Blazers, Georgia State Panthers, Temple Owls, UMass Minutemen and Nebraska Cornhuskers. He previously received offers from the Tulane Green Wave, FIU Golden Panthers, Indiana Hoosiers, Marshall Thundering Herd, FAU Owls, Southern Mississippi Eagles, Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions and the Pittsburgh Panthers.

#Last season, the Lions won their second Class 2A FHSSA state title 24-7 over eight-time state champion Jacksonville University Christian.

#Cartwright, a former student at Aquinas College, has also blossomed into a three-sport star for the Lions. On the basketball court he averaged 12.6 points and 15 rebounds per game and in athletics, and he became the school’s first multiple district champion in the shot put.

#Cartwright was also a member of the Bahamas’ 2016 Caribbean Basketball Confederation Under-16 team that won gold in the British Virgin Islands.

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Michael Cartwright

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#MICHAEL Cartwright officially brought his recruitment process to an end when he announced the NCAA programme he will join this fall.

#The senior at Champagnat Catholic High School in Hialeah, Florida, took to various social media outlets yesterday to announce his commitment to the North Carolina Central Eagles.

#“First of all I just want to Thank God for everything he has done for me in my life.

#“I want to thank all of my family members that have helped me and have been there through it all.

#“I want to thank Miss A for making me a part of the Champagnat Catholic School Family for the three years I’ve been a part of this great institution. I also would want to thank my coaches for not giving up on me and helping me be the best football player and student I wanted to be. Last but not least I want to thank the Lions football team for always pushing me in practice/games and for all the great memories we had together over the last three years,” he said.

#“It’s been a long and stressful recruiting process and I want to thank all the schools that have recruited me during the process, but today, January 20th 2019, I’m truly blessed to say I’m committed to North Carolina Central University.”

#Cartwright will be a member of the first recruiting class for new Eagles head coach Trei Oliver. Oliver was announced as NCCU’s 24th head football coach last December. In 2018, the Eagles finished 5-6 overall, 3-4 in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference.

#He becomes the second Bahamian player to matriculate from the Bahamas to Champagnat, to NCCU.

#Jamal Symotte was a member of the Eagles programme from 2012-2016. In his senior season, he was named a member of the All-Academic Team and All-MEAC Second Team after posting the team’s second-highest grade of 89 per cent on blocking assignments with 27 pancake blocks.

#Prior to his announcement, Cartwright was recently named to the Miami Herald’s All-Dade Class 5A Independent Football First Team..

#The 6’6”, 293-pound offensive lineman recorded 65 pancake blocks on the season, most among any lineman selected to the first team.

#Champagnat finished as runners-up after a 28-20 loss to the North Florida Christian Eagles in the Florida High School Athletic Association State Championships Class 2A State Championship game.

#The Lions concluded the season with four consecutive wins to earn a trip to the state title game.

#Prior to the season, Cartwright re-entered the recruitment cycle when he de-committed from the University of Indiana Hoosiers in December. He originally announced his commitment to join the Hoosiers last July but according to Cartwright, the second chance at recruitment gave him an opportunity to “re-evaluate everything and to make the best decision for me as a person, player and most importantly a student.”

#In the month of May alone, Cartwright received eight offers from the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Kent State Golden Flash, UCF Golden Knights, UAB Blazers, Georgia State Panthers, Temple Owls, UMass Minutemen and Nebraska Cornhuskers.

#He previously received offers from the Tulane Green Wave, FIU Golden Panthers, Indiana Hoosiers, Marshall Thundering Herd, FAU Owls, Southern Mississippi Eagles, Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions and the Pittsburgh Panthers.

#Last season, the Lions won their second Class 2A FHSSA state title 24-7 over eight-time state champion Jacksonville University Christian.

#Cartwright, a former student at Aquinas College, has also blossomed into a three-sport star for the Lions.

#On the basketball court he averaged 12.6 points and 15 rebounds per game and in athletics, he became the school’s first multiple district champion in the shot put.

#Cartwright was also a member of the Bahamas’ 2016 Caribbean Basketball Confederation under-16 team that won gold in the British Virgin Islands

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#HIS senior season ended just short of the ultimate team goal, but Michael Cartwright is already looking ahead to the complement of his recruitment process and NCAA decision.

#Cartwright and the Champagnat Lions finished as runners-up after a 28-20 loss to the North Florida Christian Eagles in the Florida High School Athletic Association State Championships Class 2A State Championship game.

#“Not the ending I wanted but I just want to say thanks to my teammates for a great season. Through all the adversity we’ve faced as a unit but we never gave in,” he posted to Facebook.

#“Thank you for the experience. But now it’s on the next step in my life. University of … Here I come.”

#The Lions, the defending 2A state champions, had nearly a complete roster overhaul headed into this season and reverted to the role of underdogs in the division for much of the season. They concluded the season with four consecutive wins to earn a trip to the state title game.

#Prior to the season, Cartwright, the 6’ 7” 300 pound offensive lineman, re-entered the recruitment cycle when he de-committed from the University of Indiana Hoosiers.

#“I would like to thank Indiana for recruiting me during my recruitment process and the entire Indiana coaching staff for making me feel like family the whole time,” he announced via social media.

#He originally announced his commitment to join the Hoosiers last July but according to Cartwright, the second chance at recruitment gives him an opportunity to “re-evaluate everything and to make the best decision for me as a person, player and most importantly a student.”

#In the month of May alone, he received a new slate of eight offers from the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Kent State Golden Flash, UCF Golden Knights, UAB Blazers, Georgia State Panthers, Temple Owls, UMass Minutemen and Nebraska Cornhuskers.

#He previously received offers from the Tulane Green Wave, FIU Golden Panthers, Indiana Hoosiers, Marshall Thundering Herd, FAU Owls, Southern Mississippi Eagles, Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions and the Pittsburgh Panthers.

#Last season, the Lions won their second Class 2A FHSSA state title 24-7 over eight-time state champion Jacksonville University Christian.

#Cartwright, a former student at Aquinas College, has also blossomed into a three-sport star for the Lions. On the basketball court he averaged 12.6 points and 15 rebounds per game and in athletics, he became the school’s first multiple district champion in the shot put.

#Cartwright was also a member of the Bahamas’ 2016 Caribbean Basketball Confederation under-16 team that won gold in the British Virgin Islands.

QUINCY POITIER is expected to join the Concord University Mountain Lions as one of five members of the incoming recruiting class for the 2016 season.

Friday, August 26, 2016

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#ONE local basketball player will see his game make the transition to another level in the collegiate ranks this fall.

#Quincy Poitier will join the Concord University Mountain Lions as one of five members of the incoming recruiting class for the 2016 season.

#Concord University is an NCAA Division II school, and a member of the Mountain East Conference.

#Poitier, a 6’2 combo guard, spent last season with Roane State Community College and averaged 12.9 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

#He started 19 of his 26 appearances which included a season high 24 points in a 98-92 loss at Walters State,  20 points in a 73-65 win over Cleveland State, and his lone double double of the year – 15 points and 10 rebounds in a 67-53 win over Bryan College JV.

#Poitier spent his true freshman season with Davis College, where he averaged 9.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

#Originally from San Salvador, he played locally at the high school level under Kevin Johnson for the CI Gibson Rattlers.

#Poitier joins a Concord class which includes Patrick Eugene, Troy Gibson, Augustine Mathias and Pierce Mowery.

#Mountain Lions head coach Todd May said he was optimistic about the new additions to his roster and what they can bring the programme.

#“With this recruiting class our hope was to add length and athleticism, and to fill some holes with our graduation losses which will allow us to continue to compete at the top of the Mountain East Conference,” May said.

#“I feel each of these young men will impact our programme in a positive manner, not only on the court but off, as they are all great students and great young men.

#It is the first class for May who was hired as the 15th coach in school history, following the departure of former coach Kent McBride.

#May spent the last four seasons as the assistant coach on McBride’s staff at Concord as the Mountain Lions piled up a mark of 66-51 over that span with 42 of those wins coming the last two seasons.

#May played a vital part in Concord winning the 2016 MEC Tournament Championship and appearing in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Tournament. It was for the first time for both feats since 1997.

Edric C ‘Drips’ Poitier

Friday, March 15, 2019

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#ON April 1, coach Edric C ‘Drips’ Poitier is expected to take on a new role at Florida State College at Jacksonville where he coaches their Blue Waves women’s volleyball and reconstructs their beach volleyball programme after a three-year coaching sting at Savannah State University.

#“I’m confident coach Poitier will continue to grow on the success of FSCJ Volleyball,” said FSC Athletic Director Ginny Alexander.

#“He has a commitment to building programmes that are strong and connections to recruiting high calibre players that can lead our programme to the next level.”

#In response, Poitier thanked Alexander and the volleyball search committee for selecting him and having the confidence in him to take over and lead this programme. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to continue to build on the success that FSCJ Volleyball has had in the past and look forward to the opportunity to take them to the next level,” he said. “My goal is to establish FSCJ as a national powerhouse in NJCAA volleyball.”

#Poitier, 56, will be moving from the NCAA Division I to the Division II level where he has garnered three Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year awards, four consecutive CIAA Championship and three NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional appearances in his 14-year coaching experience.

#“I love it because it’s a whole lot more responsibility because the university is getting ready to build a seven-court facility and they told me the reason they want me is so that I can manage the facility and produce some national and international tournaments there,” he said.

#“They are building six courts and one stadium court in the facility because there is no where in the Jacksonville area that has more than two courts. They wanted someone who have some experience in beach volleyball as well to manage the facility and coach their indoor volleyball team.”

#While his coaching responsibility will only be limited to the indoor volleyball team, Poitier said he will be seeking persons to coach the beach volleyball team as they attempt to bring the team up to par with hard court volleyball.

#“It’s more responsibilities, especially for recruiting. You don’t have to worry about the NCAA stipulations. It’s a junior college,” Poitier pointed out.

#“A lot of people may look at it as a demotion from a division one to a junior college, but if you are coaching at one of the major division one schools, you don’t have the opportunities for huge success.

#At the junior college level, Poitier said there is much more opportunities for him to succeed.

#“They are still paying me very well and I have an opportunity to do a lot of recruiting, especially with kids from the Bahamas and the Caribbean,” he revealed.

#“If they don’t qualify for NCAA schools due to our educational system, they don’t get to make it. But if they don’t meet the NCAA stipulations, I can recruit them for Florida State College.

#Prior to Savannah State University, Poitier was at Bluefield State College rebuilding a program that had gone 6-113 in the five seasons to a 21-7 record by 2015. Poitier also spent three seasons at Winston-Salem State University from 2010-12 and posted a 43-51 record.

#He is known for rebuilding programs as he started his head coach career with St. Augustine’s College (now St. Augustine University) and went 113-34 in five seasons at the helm. In his first season, he went 14-13 overall, including going 14-6 in conference play.

#The next four seasons, Poitier record 20-plus win and a conference championship in each season. In year two, Poitier went 23-6, including a 19-2 mark in conference play and won the conference and was named the CIAA Coach of the Year and followed up with a 22-7 overall record, including a perfect 21-0 conference record and won the CIAA Championship for the second consecutive season and lost in the first round of the NCAA Regionals.

#Poitier went 29-3 overall and 21-0 in conference play and won the CIAA Championship for the third consecutive season and advanced the second round of the NCAA Regionals and went 25-5 overall and 21-0 in league play with a conference championship and was named Coach of the Year in his final season.

#He is still the only CIAA coach to ever win an NCAA Tournament First Round match. St. Augustine’s went on a 77-game conference win streak over the last four-plus seasons.

#“I’ve coached at Division II and I did division one, but if you are not at oner of the big schools, it’s difficult to win because their recruiting budget is so great,” he further pointed out.

#“You just can’t compete with them. But at the JUCO level, you can compete with anybody.”

#He noted that Florida State College was the only team to beat Miami Dade, who was on a 69-game winning streak before they upset them last year. They eventually lost their title to Idaho.

#“That’s one of the things that motivated me in going to Florida State College,” Poitier declared. “I know I can do a lot with the programme there.”

#Before leaving the Bahamas, Poitier coached the Bahamas national women’s team for nine years from 1992-99 and led the team to two gold medals and three silver medals at the Regional Caribbean Volleyball Championships and was the assistant coach from 1989-92.

#Poitier also played on the Bahamas men’s national team as a setter for 13 years from 1979-92 and won the bronze medal at Commonwealth Volleyball Championship in London in 1981. Poitier took a break in 2004 and left St. Augustine to work in his homeland in the Bahamas as a police officer while coaching two club teams in five years before returning to coach college in 2010.

#Poitier graduated from St. Augustine’s College in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice.

#During his coaching tenure, Poitier has compiled a 194-160 win-loss record.

Edric C ‘Drips’ Poitier

As of Friday, March 15, 2019

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#ON April 1, coach Edric C ‘Drips’ Poitier is expected to take on a new role at Florida State College at Jacksonville where he coaches their Blue Waves women’s volleyball and reconstructs their beach volleyball programme after a three-year coaching sting at Savannah State University.

#“I’m confident coach Poitier will continue to grow on the success of FSCJ Volleyball,” said FSC Athletic Director Ginny Alexander.

#“He has a commitment to building programmes that are strong and connections to recruiting high calibre players that can lead our programme to the next level.”

#In response, Poitier thanked Alexander and the volleyball search committee for selecting him and having the confidence in him to take over and lead this programme. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to continue to build on the success that FSCJ Volleyball has had in the past and look forward to the opportunity to take them to the next level,” he said. “My goal is to establish FSCJ as a national powerhouse in NJCAA volleyball.”

#Poitier, 56, will be moving from the NCAA Division I to the Division II level where he has garnered three Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year awards, four consecutive CIAA Championship and three NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional appearances in his 14-year coaching experience.

#“I love it because it’s a whole lot more responsibility because the university is getting ready to build a seven-court facility and they told me the reason they want me is so that I can manage the facility and produce some national and international tournaments there,” he said.

#“They are building six courts and one stadium court in the facility because there is no where in the Jacksonville area that has more than two courts. They wanted someone who have some experience in beach volleyball as well to manage the facility and coach their indoor volleyball team.”

#While his coaching responsibility will only be limited to the indoor volleyball team, Poitier said he will be seeking persons to coach the beach volleyball team as they attempt to bring the team up to par with hard court volleyball.

#“It’s more responsibilities, especially for recruiting. You don’t have to worry about the NCAA stipulations. It’s a junior college,” Poitier pointed out.

#“A lot of people may look at it as a demotion from a division one to a junior college, but if you are coaching at one of the major division one schools, you don’t have the opportunities for huge success.

#At the junior college level, Poitier said there is much more opportunities for him to succeed.

#“They are still paying me very well and I have an opportunity to do a lot of recruiting, especially with kids from the Bahamas and the Caribbean,” he revealed.

#“If they don’t qualify for NCAA schools due to our educational system, they don’t get to make it. But if they don’t meet the NCAA stipulations, I can recruit them for Florida State College.

#Prior to Savannah State University, Poitier was at Bluefield State College rebuilding a program that had gone 6-113 in the five seasons to a 21-7 record by 2015. Poitier also spent three seasons at Winston-Salem State University from 2010-12 and posted a 43-51 record.

#He is known for rebuilding programs as he started his head coach career with St. Augustine’s College (now St. Augustine University) and went 113-34 in five seasons at the helm. In his first season, he went 14-13 overall, including going 14-6 in conference play.

#The next four seasons, Poitier record 20-plus win and a conference championship in each season. In year two, Poitier went 23-6, including a 19-2 mark in conference play and won the conference and was named the CIAA Coach of the Year and followed up with a 22-7 overall record, including a perfect 21-0 conference record and won the CIAA Championship for the second consecutive season and lost in the first round of the NCAA Regionals.

#Poitier went 29-3 overall and 21-0 in conference play and won the CIAA Championship for the third consecutive season and advanced the second round of the NCAA Regionals and went 25-5 overall and 21-0 in league play with a conference championship and was named Coach of the Year in his final season.

#He is still the only CIAA coach to ever win an NCAA Tournament First Round match. St. Augustine’s went on a 77-game conference win streak over the last four-plus seasons.

#“I’ve coached at Division II and I did division one, but if you are not at oner of the big schools, it’s difficult to win because their recruiting budget is so great,” he further pointed out.

#“You just can’t compete with them. But at the JUCO level, you can compete with anybody.”

#He noted that Florida State College was the only team to beat Miami Dade, who was on a 69-game winning streak before they upset them last year. They eventually lost their title to Idaho.

#“That’s one of the things that motivated me in going to Florida State College,” Poitier declared. “I know I can do a lot with the programme there.”

#Before leaving the Bahamas, Poitier coached the Bahamas national women’s team for nine years from 1992-99 and led the team to two gold medals and three silver medals at the Regional Caribbean Volleyball Championships and was the assistant coach from 1989-92.

#Poitier also played on the Bahamas men’s national team as a setter for 13 years from 1979-92 and won the bronze medal at Commonwealth Volleyball Championship in London in 1981. Poitier took a break in 2004 and left St. Augustine to work in his homeland in the Bahamas as a police officer while coaching two club teams in five years before returning to coach college in 2010.

#Poitier graduated from St. Augustine’s College in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice.

#During his coaching tenure, Poitier has compiled a 194-160 win-loss record.

Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton (22) drives to the basket as Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner (33) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo via AP)

As of Friday, August 7, 2020

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#The Sacramento Kings finally got into the win column while the Phoenix Suns became the only 4-0 team in the NBA restart at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.

#The Suns continue streaking and Deandre Ayton continues to deliver dominant performances.

#Ayton finished with another double double – 23 points, 10 rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals in the Suns’ 114-99 win over the Indiana Pacers.

New Orleans Pelicans’ Nicolo Melli (20) goes up for a shot against Sacramento Kings’ Buddy Hield (24) and Kent Bazemore (26) during the first half yesterday. Hield scored three points. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

#Chavano “Buddy” Hield played sparingly in the Kings’ 140-125 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in yesterday’s first matchup on the schedule.

#He scored just three points on 1-5 shooting in a season low 11 minutes.

#It was just the second time he played less than 20 minutes in a game after his previous low of 15 minutes in a February loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

#Hield has averaged just 9.5 points on 28.5 per cent shooting from the field and 25.4 per cent shooting from three-point range.

#The Kings continue play against the Brooklyn Nets (August 7), Houston Rockets (August 9), Pelicans (August 11), and Los Angeles Lakers (August 13).

#“It hasn’t looked great at times, but we haven’t looked great at times,” Kings head coach Luke Walton said of Hield’s play during the latest episode of the “Purple Talk” podcast.

#“We also need him to continue to focus on playing defence, do coverages,” Walton continued.

#“He gets blitzed, so we need him to continue to work on his playmaking ability and being able to pass out of those blitzes, which he’s gotten much better at.”

#Kings play Nets today.

Friday, August 7, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER completing his tenure at Florida State College at Jacksonville, Bahamian coach Edric ‘Drips’ Poitier turned his attention to his Powers Volleyball Club in Jacksonville, Florida in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

#Poitier, who left FSC at the end of the Bluewaves’ season in November, is contemplating his next coaching move at the collegiate level. But he was happy to work with his PCV team as they participated in an under-15 girls’ AAU Tournament in Orlando, Florida two weeks ago.

#“I have some offers on the table but their season was cancelled because of Covid-19, so they are not hiring anybody until January,” Poitier said.

#“So I’m just waiting to see what happens. There’s not a whole lot going on right now. I’m just coaching club volleyball right now.”

#Since he left FSC, Poitier has been involved in the PVC programme in Jacksonville, but he could be moving back to West Virginia at the end of the month with his wife and family to coach another club programme there if he doesn’t secure a collegiate coaching job.

#Poitier, who has amassed 14 years of head coaching experience at the NCAA Division I and II as well as the junior college level, took PVC to the AAU Nationals in Orlando where they won their bracket.

#In the new norm created as a result of the pandemic, Poitier said they played in a similar bubble like the NBA and the WNBA are doing. He noted that they get their temperature checked before every game a d if one player have any symptoms, the entire team is eliminated.

#“They had the gym set up unusual from having the courts side by side,” he noted of the four-day tournament. “They staggered them almost like a checker board with one court here and the other spaced out. Even the chairs were separated. I thought it was well organized.

#“They didn’t allow all of the teams in the gym all at once. There was a morning wave, a mid-morning wave, an afternoon wave and an evening wave in a big convention center where they sanitized it after every game. Everybody had to wear a mast unless you were a player on the court playing.”

#If this is any indication of what to expect moving forward, Poitier said he could see the process working for volleyball, which won’t be adversely affected because it’s a non-contact sport.

#“You only have players on the opposite side of the court, but those players on each team practice and play together,” he stated. “So they have been around each other the entire time.

#“Even when they get to the arena, they don’t have to mingle with the players from the opposite team. So it’s a lot safer than basketball where they have to get on the court and mix and mingle with other kids. So I think it could work. I think the AAU tournament was the prototype for teams to see how they can run their tournaments and championships to get through a season.”

#Volleyball, however, is one of those sports in the collegiate ranks, that has been put off until January because of the spread of the coronavirus since the outbreak in March when all sports worldwide came to a halt.

#In the meantime, Poitier said he’s weighing out all of his options, which include a return to junior college where he get to spend more time developing players as he does with his PVC programme.

#Prior to going to FSC, Poitier enjoyed a sting of coaching experience at Savannah State University, Bluefield State College, Winston-Salem State University and St. Augustine’s College, now St. Augustine University where Bahamian Tacara Moxey, who played for him, is the new head coach.

#Poitier, a former officer in the Royal Bahamas Police Force, player as a setter from 1979-92 before he served as the head coach for the women’s national team from 1992-99

Phoenix Suns centre Deandre Ayton (22) dunks the ball as Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, July 31. (Kim Klement/Pool Photo via AP)

Thursday, August 6, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#DEANDRE Ayton and the Phoenix Suns have been the biggest surprise of the NBA restart with an undefeated record thus far including back-to-back wins over playoff teams.

#Ayton has averaged 16.6 points and nine rebounds per game through the three game stretch as the Suns improved to 29-39, two games behind the Portland Trail Blazers in the win column for the ninth spot in the Western Conference playoffs.

#“I still don’t think we get respect, but I don’t care,” Ayton told reporters following Tuesday night’s 117-115 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, “We just go out there and play for each other. We stay together in bad times. Kept chipping, kept chipping and it went our way.”

#The second year centre said that while few pundits expected the team to make an impact, the Suns have found ways to defy the odds early.

#“Locking in. There’s nothing else to do here in the Bubble. Being there for each other. Us building with each other, seeing each other every day. It’s genuine, it’s real,” he said, “That’s coach’s system: sharing the ball. When we move the ball around, everybody eats.”

#The Suns look to continue their streak today against the also undefeated Indiana Pacers at 4pm. They go on to face the Miami Heat (August 8), Oklahoma City Thunder (August 10), Philadelphia 76ers (August 11) and the Mavericks for a second time (August 13).

#“Those guys just grew up tonight,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said following the win, “(The Clippers) sent everything at us. It’s an amazing feeling, and yet I’m already turning the page. That’s the mentality we have to have.By the time I got to the timeout (after conferring with the coaches first), the players had already talked themselves through the terminology and reads. I thought the shots that (the Clippers) got tonight were tough shots. I’m thankful. To be able to win in this environment is pretty cool.”

#On Ayton’s development, Williams said his defensive effort continues to improve.

#“He’s a guy that can be Defensive Player of the Year, I really believe that and I hope he just continues to grow in that area.” Williams told the Arizona Republic, “It’s early, but I think he’s becoming more disciplined and keeping his hands up on defense. He’s calling out stuff earlier. His conditioning is much better than it was so you’re seeing him sprinting back.”

#One of the major talking points of Ayton’s improvement has been his three point shooting, which he credits to Williams’ system giving him the confidence to take those shots from long range.

#After shooting 0-7 through the first 101 games of his NBA career, Ayton has shot 3-6 on three point field goals over the three games in the Orlando clean site.

#“I can say I’ve grown up in a way to where I’m just not being a robot running the play. I’m the playmaker when I got the ball, for real, and just me seeing the type of dominance and the type of effect I have on both sides of the floor affects the whole game and the whole team has bought in,” Ayton said, “I’m a basketball player. That’s the type of stuff you have to work on to play in the NBA. I’ve been working on this thing my whole life. I could’ve been shooting (the 3). It’s just I’m more comfortable with the system surrounding me to make me shoot the shot.”

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Lucius Fox (file photo)

Todd Isaacs

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#BAHAMIAN Baseball prospects Lucius Fox and Todd Isaacs joined Major League’s Baseball Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) programme to discuss the development of the sport in the country.

#The duo joined a Zoom-call moderated by MLB’s vice president of Baseball and Softball Development, David James, an audience comprised of student athletes from the RBI programme.

#Fox, currently a member of the Tampa Bay Rays’ “Taxi Squad” for the MLB regular season encouraged the group to find inspiration in their stories in their pursuit of own baseball dreams.

#“We didn’t have a lot of fields, a lot of batting cages [in the Bahamas]. We just used whatever we had to get better, whether that was throwing the ball against the wall or throwing the ball up and hitting it and chasing it.” Fox said, “Just finding ways to get active around the house or whatever area you have, using whatever you have, like a tennis ball or a broomstick. Those little things helped us reach the next level and helped our skills progress.”

#Fox is currently listed as the No.24 prospects in the Rays organisation was set to make his 2020 debut in AAA baseball with the Durham Bulls of the International League prior to the cancellation of the minor league season.

#As more Bahamians enter the MLB farm system and with Antoan Richardson in the coaching ranks with the San Francisco Giants, both players noted the impact recent success has had on Bahamian baseball.

#“As we continue to grow and push in professional baseball, we see every time we go back to the island more young kids that look forward to playing the game,” Fox said. “That’s all we ever wanted: to inspire the generation behind us. It’s changed my life, my family’s life, and allowed me to travel to places I never thought I would have been unless I was playing the game. I never thought I would be playing baseball. I always wanted to run the 100 meters at the Olympics, but I’m so happy that I was introduced to the game, and I just want more and more kids to give it a try.”

#Isaacs is currently a free agent, but was most recently a member of the Colorado Rockies organisation. He spent the bulk of last season in Grand Junction at the Rookie Level but also received the highest call up of his career when he was called up to the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

#“As an athlete, it’s our responsibility to use our platform to bring awareness and bring change,” Isaacs said in reference to the recent rise in social consciousness seen from athletes at all levels, “Everything that has been going on in the past few weeks has brought everything to the forefront. Education is key, and with us, we have a lot of kids who look up to us as athletes, and they are the future generations who will break the cycle [of discrimination in the world].”

#Fox said: “There is just one race, the human race. White, Black — it doesn’t matter. When we step on the field, the only thing we care about is our organization. We don’t look at race. … It’s important that we continue to push this envelope and educate more and more people. If we keep the fight going, we will see change in the future.”

#The duo created the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby, which has quickly garnered international acclaim in the baseball community in just three years.

#“We played a lot of games in stadiums with a lot of fans and a lot of excitement, but honestly, I never felt anything like stepping on that stage at the Derby,” Fox said. “The crowd is really close. It’s not like a regular game, where the fans are in the stands far away. You can feel the energy as soon as you step foot on the beach. And looking out into the ocean, this beautiful water, you want to hit the ball as far as you can.”

#RBI has featured a web series during the pandemic that has also featured other minorities in the sport, including Rangers’ pitcher Taylor Hearn.

#According to its website, Reviving Baseball began in 1989 and through the 2018 season, grew from a local program for boys in South Central Los Angeles to an international campaign encompassing more than 200 cities and as many as 150,000 boys and girls participants per year. In 2010, Jr. RBI was launched, designed to create new playing divisions that provide baseball and softball opportunities for children ages 5-12 that also serve as a feeder to the age 13-18 baseball and softball divisions.

#John Young, a former Major League Baseball player and scout, developed the concept of RBI to provide disadvantaged youth an opportunity to learn and enjoy the game of baseball.