Despite losing their recent international series to Suriname 2-1, Guyana men’s basketball Head-Coach Darcel Harris said he is confident the team can still progress from the group stage at the 2015 Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championship.
Guyana faced off with their Dutch rivals in a three-match international series in Paramaribo as part of their preparation for the regional tourney, which is slated to be in the British Virgin Islands from June 16th-20th.
Speaking exclusively to Stabroek Sports yesterday, Harris said “This year we should qualify. It’s a far easier group than last year and we will be disappointed if we don’t make the final four given the fact that we have already faced Bermuda and Suriname who are in our group.
“I think it’s just about doing our homework and executing on game day. I am confident of coming out of the group, we have the quality and the necessary personnel to come out which is our main aim” he added.
According to Harris, while his locally based side would have been on the wrong end of the Suriname series, they would have learnt a lot as they experienced a different style of basketball against the full strength Dutch squad which featured their overseas players.
He noted while he is not privy to head-to-head numbers between the two nations, he posited that Suriname utilizes different styles of play which are very systematic and involves a lot of movement and passing. “They run their plays to perfection and they are more fundamentally correct as well,” he said.
Questioned about the expected impact of the foreign players on the team, he said that the expected individuals are professionals and should bring added quality to the entire squad.
He noted one of the probable players is a centre which will be a perfect addition to the squad due to Guyana being undersized compared to their adversaries. However he said that the overseas players are not automatic picks and will be competing for spots within the final roster.
Asked if the national and regional elections campaign has affected the team’s preparation, he said that it has not affected the team. He further declared that he hopes everything goes well with the election process and if any situation occurs, the team will stay away until it resolves.
Guyana is positioned in group-A of the event alongside their current foes, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas and Bermuda. The two top teams in the group will qualify for the championship’s final four section.
Guyana finished fifth at the 2014 edition of the CBC Championships held in the same nation. Guyana in their recent international outing, swept CBC rival Bermuda 3-0 during the month of March at home.
