Juawon Ebanks will be in the spotlight at the home of the Orlando Magic.
The West Bay native is being featured at the first annual March Magic Showcase at the Amway Center, which stages home games for the National Basketball Association franchise. The event, being held March 28-30, follows Amateur Athletic Union rules and caters to school kids in grades 3-12 looking to be scouted by American high school and college coaches. Ebanks, 15, is listed as a 5-foot, 10-inch point guard representing the Cayman Islands Hoopsters basketball program at the showcase.
Hoopsters head coach Daniel Augustine will be travelling with Ebanks and believes foreign coaches will be left impressed.
“This opportunity was given to us as we’re coming a long way,” Augustine said. “The organizers want to build goodwill with us and have a connection to Cayman basketball. We were asked if he had talent and Juawon has been excellent on and off the court. He has shown tremendous dedication on and off the court and his attitude toward the game is what coaches are looking for. I have no doubt he can perform against the ‘big wigs,’ so to speak.”
Ebanks, who turns 16 this summer, will be up against kids from various clubs in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. He is by far the shortest competitor in his group, with most being at least 6-feet, 2-inches tall. On March 28, Ebanks will be competing prior to the Magic taking on the Charlotte Bobcats and will have the opportunity to interact with players on both teams.
Aside from Ebanks and Augustine, the Hoopsters will be represented by three coaches – James Collins, Bruce Reynolds and Huey Crawford – who will double as chaperones and members of the Juniors and Hoopsters squads taking part in division two of the ongoing Digicel National Men’s League. The group is expected to leave Cayman on Thursday and return on March 30.
Augustine said a number of young men are expected to garner attention.
“For the Juniors, Arin Taylor and Michael Brooks will stand out and do well. With Hoopsters, I’m expecting Rhomar Williams, Naithique Jackson and Daniel Britton to do well as they have the most minutes on the team. All the boys overall should do good but those are the few who some coaches could ask about. I think this will bring out the best in them, they know what they are there to achieve.”
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