Basketball Players To Be Showcased At Classic
[Written by Patrick Bean]
Bermuda’s talented youth will be on display for basketball supporters as well as coaches and overseas talent scouts as the Bermuda Thanksgiving Basketball Classic takes center stage at Berkeley Institute Gymnasium on Friday [Nov 23] and Saturday [Nov 24].
The brainchild of local basketball’s ‘Youthful Legend’ Chris Crumpler, head of Wolfpack Elite Basketball, which is hosting the event with primary supporting sponsor Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA] as a means of offering the Island’s ballers exposure for their talents that they might attract interest leading to scholar/athlete opportunities and other basketball related life-furthering possibilities.
Crumpler, also a motivational speaker who targets adolescents and men for his many empowerment messages, spoke to how high-school teams from two countries and two states were to compete at the weekend tourney. Jamaica — capital city Kingston — and the United States each have representative outfits here on the Island, with the US supplying squads from its ‘Second City’, Chicago, and the ‘Sunshine State’ that is Florida.
Bermuda has a select group of players eager to shine and show their abilities against international competition in a format involving inter-pool play at the outset — guaranteeing each team participation in at least three matches — before moving to a single-elimination — knock-out — championship round to decide the overall winners.
“This event is to give our high-school players opportunity to showcase not only their ability, but to give them exposure and for the development and overall growth of the sport.” explained Crumpler. “We’re really looking forward to having an exciting event and we look forward to everybody coming out in support of our young people.”
Crumpler was also thankful to the sponsors that were making the event possible, saying: “This is hosted by Wolfpack Basketball and sanctioned by the BBA and sponsored by Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA] and are thankful to our local sponsors Docksiders, AES Solar and Jamaican Grill as well as all of the parents for helping us to pull this event off.”
Meanwhile, Friday has Wolfpack Bermuda opening matters with a game against Crossroads Christian [Illinois], while Boca Raton Christian [Florida] contest Camperdown High School [Jamaica] second.
Friday, November 23
- 1:15 PM – Game 1 WPB vs CRU
- 2:30 PM – Game 2 BRC vs CHS
- Break
- 6:30 PM – Opening Ceremonies
- 7:00 PM – Game 3 WPB vs BRC
- 8:15 PM – Game 4 CRU vs CHS
Saturday, November 24
- 12:00 PM – Game 5 WPB vs CHS
- 1:15 PM – Game 6 BRC vs CRU
- Break [calculate teams for games 7 & 8]
- 3:30 PM – Game 7 [determines 3rd and 4th place]
- 4:45 PM – Game 8 – Championship
- 6:00 PM – Closing Ceremonies/Awards.
