Three Caymanians will be storming English courts in 2014 on a high.
Jorge Ebanks, Jerome Narcisse and Lloyd Samuels have helped the Tees Valley Mohawks revive playoff aspirations with a .500 record in division one of the English Basketball League. The Middlesbrough-based side is 5-5 to start the New Year, with the Mohawks’ next league game on Jan. 11 and the postseason slated for mid-April. After rebounding from a 1-5 start, Tess Valley capped off their turnaround before Christmas with a 71-63 win over the Westminster Warriors.
For head coach Steve Butler, that result puts the squad in good stead this month.
“We looked in control, Jorge controlled the floor well,” Butler said. “In November, we could have lost that game but we are more of a unit now and I believe we can really start challenging the top teams. We need to continue to improve and play with great attitude.”
In addition to their good league form, the Mohawks had a deep run in the Mens National Cup and are gearing up for a quarterfinal clash in the National Trophy competition. Based on Butler’s comments earlier in the season, Narcisse and Samuels – both 26 and key offseason acquisitions last summer – have fit in well alongside Ebanks, 27. One of the best moments for Narcisse came in the club’s 78-74 win over Leeds Carnegie where he made three 3-pointers and led the way offensively.
Butler summed up the performance, saying, “Jorge led again from the front but Jerome was in a different class.”
It should be noted that playing on the same team is nothing new for the Caymanian trio. Ebanks, Narcisse and Samuels starred on the Dominos Warriors men’s basketball team in Cayman that won the 2011 national championship.
How long their England partnership lasts remains to be seen. Ebanks, the Mohawks captain, signed a one-year contract extension last August after initially inking a one-year deal in 2012. The George Town native has said 2014 will be his final year with the club. The 6-feet, 1-inch guard led the league in scoring last season, averaging over 21 points per game. That production helped Tees Valley compete in the National Trophy final, finish fifth of 14 teams with a 16-10 record and advance to the playoffs.
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