The Virgin Islands Men's Basketball Team Photo Credit: FIBA BASKETBALL
The Virgin Islands Men's Basketball Team will continue its 2023 FIBA World Qualifying campaign with two games at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center against the Bahamas on July 1st at 7:00 p.m., and Canada on July 4th at 5:00 p.m.
Heading into the final qualifying window of the first round, the Virgin Islands is in fourth place in its group but still has a chance to qualify for the next round.
The top three teams in the group will advance to the second round of FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, and the USVI trails the Bahamas by a point in the group standings heading into the final two group games.
In February, the Bahamas beat the Virgin Islands 86-74, a result that placed the bar really high for the local team. If the Virgin Islands team is to pass the Bahamas' overall standing, the USVI would need to win by 13 points, according to FIBA tiebreakers.
The Virgin Islands lost to Canada in their previous match-up and to the Dominican Republic twice in their other group games in qualifying games.
During a phone interview with the Consortium, Virgin Islands team co-captain Ivan Aska spoke about what the team has learned in the first four games of qualifying. He said the most important lessons going into these two games are to be mentally ready and play as a team. "If we are not on the same page we will not win these games," he said. "Of course, the goal is to win these two games."
Aska is the team's leading scorer with 14.3 points per game in the qualifiers.
In a press release announcing the games, the Virgin Islands Basketball Federation said the "element of surprise awaits" opponents, when speaking about the Virgin Islands roster for the upcoming games. Even so, the games are expected to be tough as opponents will most likely feature multiple NBA players.
The Bahamas expects Buddy Hield of the Indiana Pacers to play on their team. The Bahamas is also awaiting confirmation from Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns, along with Kai Jones of the Charlotte Hornets.
Canada's roster is expected to boast mostly NBA players including Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks.
Regarding the stiff competition, Aska told the Consortium, "Resumés don't matter; at the end of the day we have to fight and play defense."
Tickets for the games are $20 for adults, $10 for students, and $25 for the blue seats at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center. "We are going to need the fanbase to come out and support," Aska stressed.
When asked what fans who have not seen the national team play recently should expect, Aska said the team will represent the territory with pride and competitiveness.
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