LEXINGTON – The Transylvania men’s basketball program is Bahamas-bound this upcoming weekend for a preseason exhibition game and clinic in the Exumas, a southern island of the Bahamas. Lexington-based sports firm bdG Sports, which also plays host to annual college basketball and professional golf events throughout the Bahamas, will manage the four-day trip for the Pioneers.
Transylvania’s fall-break schedule includes departing Lexington on Saturday, Oct. 14 and conducting a youth clinic in George Town, Bahamas upon arrival. The following day will see the Pios compete in an exhibition game against a Bahamas Select Team. Other highlights on the trip include a coaches’ clinic with local Bahamian coaches along with a team island excursion on Monday, Oct. 16. The squad will return to Kentucky on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
“We are excited about the opportunity to take our team to Exuma and positively impact the local community there through the game of basketball,” Transylvania head coach Brian Lane said. “Many thanks to the Bahamas Basketball Federation, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, and bdG Sports for offering this opportunity. We can’t wait to bring our brand of Bluegrass basketball to the Bahamas.”
bdG Sports has strong roots in Exuma and The Bahamas. The firm annually manages the first two golf tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour in Exuma and Abaco. The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic is played each January at a Greg Norman-designed course at Sandals Emerald Bay. bdG also manages multiple college basketball events at the Baha Mar resort in Nassau each year in both August and November. bdG played host to Kentucky men’s basketball for its Big Blue Bahamas summer tour at Baha Mar in August 2022 while both Xavier and Penn State participated this past August. Each November, bdG plays host to three “Baha Mar Hoops” tournaments with this year’s line-up featuring 22 teams playing over 10 days. Louisville men’s basketball won its division at the 2021 Baha Mar Hoops event.
“One of the missions of our company is to positively impact the communities that have embraced us and our events,” bdG Sports President & CEO Brooks Downing said. “George Town is anchored by a beautiful outdoor court, but there’s not an indoor gym in the Exumas. We hope this trip down by Transy will spark greater interest in the sport, and who knows, maybe it will produce the next Buddy Heild, DeAndre Ayton or Mychal Thompson, all great Bahamian basketball stars.
“For Coach Lane and his men’s basketball team, I owe them a sincere thank you as Coach volunteered to take his squad down for this unique experience. They will experience the true Bahamas as the Exumas boasts the most beautiful waters in the world, the local Bahamians are the most welcoming, friendly people you’ll ever meet and regardless of their background, they take education and sports very seriously. This will be a win-win for both the Pioneers as well as the local Exumians, and Coach Lane deserves all the credit for making his happen.”
Transylvania, who posted a 14-12 overall mark last season, returns top scorers junior Colby Napier (14.9 points, 2.6 3-pointers) and senior Jaylan Green (14.2 points, 4.5 rebounds) along with senior Simon Smith (10.0 points, and junior Hunter Penn (8.8 points, 6.7 rebounds). The Pioneers play two preseason exhibition games at Bellarmine (Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m.) and home against Marysville College (Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.) before opening the regular season at Centre (Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.).