BERMUDA’S basketball players are in buoyant mood as they plan their defence of their Island Games in Rhodes this year. The squad did well in their recent Ontario tour, winning three out of four games against top level sides. But Bermuda Basketball Association President Tim Trott said everyone would be out to beat the 2005 champions at the Island Games.“Everyone has an idea of what we can do so everyone will be trying to knock us down.”

He said the back-to-back games in Canada had been ideal practice given the gruelling schedule awaiting in Rhodes. The annual tour was even more competitive this year.

“We played four games in a row. Some of the players weren’t used to that but one of the reasons we started the tour was to give these guys a taste of what it would be like to play a lot of games in a row against decent competition because that’s what we will face at the Island Games.

“We are going there for a week, we will probably play six to seven games with maybe only one day off. It not only tests the players physically, it tests the players mentally.”

The Canada trip put the borderline players under the microscope. “Some players aren’t able to play two or three games in a row.”

However forward Jonathan Minors passed the test.

Stamina is key. Last time Bermuda was up against just four teams and played a handful of matches. This year there will be up to a dozen teams. There are more teams playing basketball than ever been.”

However at the moment national team training is a struggle. The season is still in full flow and payment for facilities is an issue although the squad gets some free sessions at MSA and CedarBridge.

“We are a little behind schedule. But we don’t want to burn our players out. We are playing games three to four times a week.”

It leaves time for training once a week which will be stepped up to twice a week when the season ends in May and then even more sessions just before the tournament.

The squad boasts some big hitters including Chris Crumpler who played division two basketball in Florida.

And Bermuda’s pro Sullivan Phillips has moved on to a better team in Hungary. “He’s doing quite well.” Although his personal stats may have dropped it’s because he’s not asked to do so much with better players around him said Trott.

The women’s national team are already doing two training sessions a week and earlier this year played some testing games against a college team from Massachusetts.

Much is expected of Warwick Academy teen Erica Woods who is coming on leaps and bounds after being allowed to play in the boys league. “She wasn’t getting any competition in the girls’ league. She was dominating when she was 13.”

The budding star has her eyes on college basketball in the States.

And Jenaya Wade-Fray is already there — playing division one basketball in the US at the University of Tennessee. She played in 2003 Island Games but sprained her ankle in the first game.

“Her and Erica are going to be key components for the women’s team.”

Unfortunately Kim Montgomery, who has played division one basketball for top notch California University USC injured her Achilles in a warm up game in January and has had to undergo surgery.

“As much as her experience would have been welcomed, the injury has ruled her out.”

Although living in the States she is mentoring some of the Bermuda squad such as Woods via email.

The women too will have more competition with the pool of teams doubling.

Trott has noticed an extra drive in the women’s side who still go as underdogs after getting bronze last time while the men will be challenging other teams to knock them off their perch.

Last week the basketball was in the spotlight when the Ball 4 Life team did an exhibition weekend at Berkeley gym. Trott has mixed feelings about the spectacle.

“The only thing I will say — it has to be seen for what it is — entertainment. It’s not the kind of basketball I would like our junior players to see. A lot of things they saw are not things you would do in a real game.”

Although he welcomes the fact it exposed more Bermudians to basketball in what is still a football and cricket country, he regretted there seemed to be little emphasis on team play said Trott. “People were showing off. That’s my opinion.”