Diamond and North Ruimveldt at loggerheads tonight

Jun 16, 2012 Sports

By Edison Jefford
The quarterfinal round of the National Community Basketball League (NCBL) continues at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall tonight when Diamond/McDoom takes on North Ruimveldt in what is expected to be a balanced and intense game.

Darcel Harris

The reality of the competition will be startlingly clear for one of the teams that will have to pack their gym bags for the very last time in the 2012 competition. Either Diamond or North will have to contemplate watching the remainder of the competition.
The big question is who is more likely to do so? To answer that question, an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, in a juxtaposition to determine who has the advantage, is necessary. It is compulsory in any substantial pregame analysis.
The super-strong Central McKenzie is the only team to defeat Diamond/McDoom in their group stages of the competition. Diamond lost under sketchy circumstances. It is clear that they left the game knowing that they did nothing wrong to lose.
In other words, had it not been for the officiating and the insecure coaching, Diamond/McDoom would have topped their group. However, with that aside, they face North Ruimveldt in the most important game of their sojourn in the competition.
Choose whatever aspect you may want to deduce, the deciding factor in this game will be Darcel Harris versus Ryan Stephney, whose control of Diamond’s team should end tonight. Stephney has not yet perfected his game to the Player/Coach level.
Mark Agard should be reinstated as the sole authority to run the Diamond/McDoom offense and defence

Ryan Stephney

as well as their bench tonight. Stephney cannot be the dependent guard and its coach the same time. He has not reached that level of expertise.
In their game against Central McKenzie, Agard had Diamond easily beating them through three quarters. All of a sudden in the fourth quarter, Stephney takes over after being fouled out and the game changes from favouring Diamond to a Central McKenzie win.
If I was Diamond, I would not risk Stephney coaching my team against Harris, who is his leader at the Ravens Basketball Club. It might sound tough, but its reality. Emotions get easily involved when it comes to bragging rights and winning prize monies.
Truth is Stephney and Harris knows each other. That should be immediately dealt with from the management’s perspective. With that aside, the nippy guard, Stephon ‘Penny’ Henry and centre, Damian Liverpool will have their work cut put against Diamond.
They are the most senior players, apart from Harris on that side and they must step up. Players in the likes of Jason Squires, Devon Bacchus and Hodayah Stewart will be there to offer support in the crucial encounter for both of the teams tonight.
The major problem for North on Diamond will be Travis Burnette. It seems as though, Burnett is able to break down any defence and those signs are worrying. Burnette cannot easily be defended except you force him to shoot the ball, which is his weakness.
Burnette has the forwards to support his magic. He has Travis ‘Cook-Up’ Foster, Horace Hodges and

Travis Burnett

Mark Richards. Diamond is a balanced team; they must put it together tonight and ensure the Final Four slot that awaits this game belongs to them.
The first game will be a supporting game featuring a grudge contest between Republic Bank and CARICOM Secretariat beginning at 7pm. The 2012 NCBL will continue tomorrow night at Cliff Anderson’s Sports Hall where another semi-finalist will be decided.