Antigua and Barbuda’s national basketball team is gearing up for its first major international assignment of the season, with the Antigua and Barbuda Basketball Association naming a 27-player training squad for the CBC Pre-Qualifiers in Guyana — the opening step on a long road toward the FIBA AmeriCup 2029.
The squad, featuring a mix of local talent and overseas-based players, will begin training on Monday, June 8, ahead of the tournament scheduled for July 8–12 in Georgetown. Antigua and Barbuda has been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Guyana, Dominica, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Bermuda. Group B comprises Barbados, Haiti, Grenada, the Cayman Islands, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Only the top team from each group will advance to the next round of the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Pre-Qualifiers, set for November.
Local and Overseas Talent Combined
The training squad includes several standout performers from the local league, including players from EZ Fit Flyers, Cuties Ovals Ojays, JSC Red Hawks, Da Project, All Saints Slam, and Lava Elite Stingerz.
Also earning selection are a number of overseas-based players, including Preston Merrick of Harvard University, Devonte Carter of Nova Southeastern University, Xavier Spencer of Lindenwood University, Jaden Andrew of Emory and Henley College, and Jabari Williams, who currently plays professionally in Spain.
The Full Training Squad
Among the players called up are Adonis Humphreys, Kareem Edwards, Cohen Desouza, Steven Matthew, Javonte Daley, Lopez Adams, T-Shawn Lewis, Jaleyle Joseph, Takeem Martin, Danny Perez, Daniel Perez, Tajahron Davis, Craig Massiah Jr., Sadiq Phillip, Daleonte Phillip, Raheem Sawyer, Alexis Jackson, Jamine Charles, Seth Joseph, Keon Armstrong, Myles Miller, and Shamoi Tonge.
What’s at Stake
The tournament will be played in a round-robin format, with each team facing every other team in its group once.  With only one group winner advancing to the November qualifiers, Antigua and Barbuda will need to be at full strength from the opening tip-off. Group A presents a formidable challenge — hosting nation Guyana will carry home advantage, while no team in the group can be taken lightly in the fiercely competitive Caribbean basketball landscape.
The squad’s blend of college standouts and professional experience from Europe, combined with battle-hardened local league performers, gives the national team genuine cause for optimism as preparations begin in earnest on Monday.
