They are already the number one team in Georgetown but that’s simply not enough; tonight, Courts Pacesetters will look to become the number one team in Guyana when they face current champions, Kings.
The two teams: Georgetown’s Pacesetters and Linden’s Kings will meet in the final of the Next Level Entertainment (NLE) nation-wide first division tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in the feature game.
The night of keen basketball rivalry is set to begin at 6 pm with Beepat’s Scorpions taking on Nets in the first game for third place honours in the tournament.
It’s an opportunity the Courts team has long awaited, now it’s here and according to head coach Robert ‘Bobby’ Cadogan the team is fully prepared and ready for battle after a week off of competition.
Last year, the Courts team barely managed third place succumbing to their Georgetown rivals, Ravens in the semi-final round but with Ravens out of this year’s event, the hope of glory for the Garden city rests on Courts Pacesetters.
“I am very much ready, I had to do some readjustments due to the absence of two key players: (Horace) Hodges and Penny (Stephon Henry),” Cadogan said.
Hodges was the team’s starting centre throughout the tournament while Henry performed duties at the top as lead guard. However, Stabroek Sport understands that Hodges is currently overseas while Henry is out with a knee injury.
“The other guys will have to step up, we have two people in mind for the vacant positions but I have to get the green light from the organisers,” Cadogan said, while naming Paul Mendonza and Anwar Hawker as the likely replacements.
Asked about preparations for the title match and bragging rights for a year, Cadogan said that they did light work during the week but was affected Friday night by being unable to use the Sports Hall for a session.
“We had basic preparations during the week, we were hampered last night at the Sports Hall when we couldn’t practise but we got a practise session this afternoon (yesterday afternoon),” the senior national coach said.
The Courts team is officially seeded number one in Georgetown by the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) owing to several key players that the team will expect top performances from tonight who could topple Kings.
Courts’ shooting guard Stephon Gillis will need to focus more on his game and his team. He will have to work along with stalwarts such as forwards Naylon Loncke and Royston Siland in the middle of the paint.
The Courts bench is like the Kings bench: very deep; perhaps that is the only comparison that can be made of the two teams. As for man-to-man skill, tonight will decide who gets the edge.
Kings will come into tonight’s final full of confidence and coherence. The unit has hardly had any trades since the last tournament in 2006 but they are fully aware that they cannot underestimate Pacesetters.
Kings’ coach, Ashton Angel Jnr. told Stabroek Sport yesterday that they will be looking to expose Courts’ weakness, which they recognise as the team’s inside. He said apart from Loncke and Siland Courts have timid middle posts.
“Basically, their strength is on the outside – the parameters but we will try to shut that down with our defence,” Angel said adding that the team has been working tirelessly to beef up defence ahead of the final.
Angel indicated that the team would rely on the strength of centres, Jason Alonzo and Alwyn Wilson. The coach expressed confidence in his charges naming forward Marvin Hartman as another key player for the team.
This is unofficially Angel’s first nationwide first division final as coach and he comes up against Cadogan, a coach whose worth has been proven both locally and internationally.
The contest tonight is an all round battle for the top spot in the country, which carries a first prize purse of $250,000. Second place takes home $100,000 while third place gets $50,000.
The Best Shooter and Best Defender will bounce off with a ball and trophy each while the Most Valuable Player will receive a basketball, trophy and $5,000. The official colour for Pacesetters is yellow while Kings fans will be decked out in blue.
