Guyana names 12-man squad for FIBA Caribbean AmeriCup Pre-Qualifiers

The Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) has officially unveiled its 12-man national team that will represent the Golden Arrowhead on home soil at the FIBA Caribbean AmeriCup Pre-Qualifiers, scheduled for July 8-12 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Guyana has been drawn in Group A alongside Dominica, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and Bermuda in what is expected to be a highly competitive battle for qualification.

Group B comprises Haiti, Grenada, the Cayman Islands, Barbados, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, completing the 10-team field.

The tournament will be played in a round-robin format, with each team facing every other team in its respective group once. At the end of the preliminary round, only the group winners will advance to the next stage of the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Pre-Qualifiers, making every game crucial.

Stanton Rose Jr., who captained Guyana to its historic maiden Caribbean men’s title in 2018, has once again been entrusted with the captaincy. Rose will provide leadership to a squad that blends experienced local players with overseas-based talent.

The local contingent features guards Dominic Vincente, Nikolai Smith, Shelroy Thomas, and Domitre Rankin, whose ball-handling, pace, and perimeter shooting will be vital to Guyana’s success.

They are joined by forwards Akil Hughes, Kimol Grimmond, Hulman Bovell, Stanton Rose Jr., and Brandon Bento, giving the team athleticism, versatility, and depth on both ends of the court.

Strengthening the squad are United States-based players Kevin Mickle and Kevon Wiggins.

Mickle, a versatile forward/centre making his debut, is expected to bolster Guyana’s frontcourt with his size and physicality, while Wiggins brings additional scoring, playmaking, and experience to the backcourt.

Rounding out the roster is naturalized forward Umar Rashid, whose experience and presence in the paint are expected to play an important role on both the offensive and defensive ends.

The squad will be led by head coach Vannie Walls, assisted by Marlon Rodrigues and Clement Brush, with the coaching staff banking on a balanced combination of youth, experience, and overseas talent to guide Guyana into the next phase of qualification.

Several members of the team have represented Guyana at previous international tournaments and are expected to provide leadership on and off the court, while the addition of overseas-based players further strengthens the team’s ambitions of advancing from the group stage.

Guyana’s 12-man squad:

Guards: Dominic Vincente, Nikolai Smith, Shelroy Thomas, Domitre Rankin, Kevon Wiggins

Forwards: Akil Hughes, Kimol Grimmond, Hulman Bovell, Stanton Rose Jr., Brandon Bento, Umar Rashid (Naturalised)

Forward/Centre: Kevin Mickle