Deandre Ayton spearheads Bahamas' roster for Olympic Qualifiers / News - Basketnews.com

As the Bahamian NT takes the court, their quest to secure a spot in the 2024 Olympics will be fueled by the presence of some NBA-caliber talent.

Credit: USA TODAY Sports - Scanpix Credit USA TODAY Sports - Scanpix

The Bahamas NT is gearing up for the Olympic Qualifiers with a major NBA boost.

Deandre Ayton

Position:C, PFAge:25Height:211 cmWeight:113 kgBirth place:Nassau, BahamasProfileNewsStatistics

The 2024 FIBA Men's Pre-Qualifying Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in the Americas, scheduled from August 14 to 20, 2023, in Argentina, will be the battleground where the Bahamas compete in Group A alongside Argentina, Cuba, and Panama.

Three NBA players (Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Kai Jones) are set to join the squad, the Bahamas basketball federation announced.

30-year-old Hield had an impressive season with the Pacers, averaging 16.8 points per game.

25-year-old Deandre Ayton will once again wear his country's senior national team jersey since the 2016 Centrobasket Championship, two years before being selected by the Suns as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

At just 18 years old in that tournament, Ayton gave a sample of his talent by averaging 16.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks.

This will be a lineup full of NBA players who seek to lead their country to take a leap in quality and make noise in the field of international basketball.

"I'm excited to be back playing for Team Bahamas and to see how much the program has grown," Ayton told Marc J. Spears from Andscape. "Can't wait to play with my guys. It's truly a special experience to compete with teammates – who are from where you're from – with the Bahamas on your chest."

The Bahamas, currently ranked 27th in FIBA rankings, has never qualified for the Olympic Games.

The Bahamas will face Cuba on August 14, and on the 16th, they will play against the host Argentina and close the Group Phase against Panama on the 17th.

Chile, Colombia, the Virgin Islands, and Uruguay will compete In Group B, which will take place at the Estadio Vicente Rosales de La Banda.

The top two teams from each group advance to the Semifinals. The winner of this competition will obtain the only place available in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments that will be played from July 2 to 7, 2024.

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