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JaBA hosts trial to select players for training camp
July 08, 2025
The Jamaica Basketball Association (JaBA) hosted a trial, minus its big NBA stars, at the National Stadium courts over the weekend, from which coach Rick Turner will select a squad of 18 for a training camp before the 2027 World Cup pre-qualifiers in Mexico next month.
It was expected that some of the NBA stars such as Nick Richards and Norman Powell, would be present at the trial, however, basketball president Paulton Gordon explained that the NBA players are already well known to coach Turner who wanted to look at players he wasn't familiar with.
"We had nearly 60 persons at the trial, and the coach will now make a decision in terms of a training camp, which will happen a few days before the August 8-10 pre-qualifying tournament.
"The known players we have like Nick Richards, Josh Minott, Norman Powell and Kenton Facey from Europe didn't come to this trial. Those players will not join until the training camp.
"He (coach) will have a look at them (trial players) again and then he will inform them later about their status but he is targeting 18 persons for the training camp," he revealed.
Gordon said that from the 18 to be named for the training camp, they will select the best possible 12 to go to Mexico, where the top two from a group which also includes the hosts, Barbados and Costa Rica, will move on to the qualifiers in November.
"Of the 50-plus players that came on Saturday, he (coach) invited about 40 back on Sunday. He will now finalise the squad for the training camp, and then he will select the team to go to Mexico."
The more seasoned professionals players such as Powell, Minott, Richards, Kenton Facey and, Romario Gill, are expected to be at the final training which could also include former college star Kofi Coburn.
However, Gordon emphasised that it was important for the coach to see all that he has available before the qualifiers are in full swing.
"A lot of the players in the NBA will be active in November and that is why we want to have as wide a pool as possible, players playing both internationally and domestically (in Jamaica) so that we can be prepared for the various qualifying windows that are in front of us. So we really want to focus on identifying the players who are healthy at this point in time," he said.
