Spartans take on Youths in SDF Community Basketball League today
DEFENDING champions Spanish Town Spartans begin the defence of their title against Aqua Youths as the 2018 Sports Development Foundation/ (SDF) Howard McCatty Community Basketball League begins today at Pembroke Hall Basketball Court, starting at 5:00 pm.
Coach Lennox Lindo of Spartans said this year’s team should be made up of mainly schoolboys, along with a few players who have already reached 20 years old.
“I am going on a different path this season by concentrating more and working on the younger players, as Spartans need to expand and play much better. The National Basketball League players will still be together, but for the community league the younger players will get the chance to develop and improve on their playing skills,” Lindo said.
Lindo told the Jamaica Observer that the more exposure these young players get, the more they will improve. “Some of these schoolboy players are National Under-19 representatives.
“I don’t know too much about Aqua Youths because I have not seen them in any warm-up matches or training, but I do know that they too also have some young players in their team. They are also a decent team, but in the past we were able to manage them quite comfortably,” said Lindo.
The other game on today will be between Real Lions and Donmair All-Stars, scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm.
Matches scheduled for tomorrow are: Swift Sons vs Harbour View Supernova at 5:00 pm; Arnett Rockers vs Denham Town Wizards at 6:45 pm at Arnett Gardens basketball court; Blazin Panthers vs Police at 5:00 pm; Duhaney Park vs Selassie Gardens Lions at Haile Selassie basketball court at 6:45 pm; Majesty Legends vs Portmore Thunders at Majesty basketball court at 6:00 pm.
The competition is divided into Western and Eastern divisions and teams will play each other once in the preliminary round in their respective divisions. The top six teams from each division will advance to the play-off round.
Winners of the play-off round will qualify for the quarter-finals to be played in the best-of-three series, with the semi-finals also a best-of-three series. The final will be played in a best-of-five series.
Ten teams will be participating in the Western Division — Spanish Town Spartans, Selassie Gardens, Delacree Park Hot Steppers, Duhaney Park Pitbulls, Donmair All-Stars, Majesty Gardens, Red Hills Road Real Lions, Aqua Youths, Portmore Vipers, and Portmore Thunders.
Nine teams will be contesting the Eastern Division — St George’s Saints, Swift Sons, Arnett Gardens Rockers, North Street Heats, Rae Town Raptors, Denham Town Wizards, Harbour View Supernovas, Blazin Panthers, and Jamaica Constabulary Force.