Team Hurricane Highlights Players & Programs

The Hurricane Basketball Academy team enters its eleventh year as Bermuda’s premier youth basketball program and continues its mission to provide a platform where student-athletes can train, develop and reach their academic and athletic potential.

Founder and head coach Doug Reed says, “We want to provide the best competitive basketball experience for student-athletes pursuing a college education.”

The spokesperson said, “Such efforts are highlighted by the elite basketball opportunities that Team Hurricane provided to a trio of promising student-athletes in its program.

Devin Todd

“Devin Todd, a talented 6’2″ combo guard (point guard/shooting guard), begins his freshman year at the International Sports Academy in Sandusky, Ohio. The International Sports Academy (ISA) is for dedicated student-athletes in grades 8-12 or post-graduate. The full-time academy combines year-round basketball and performance training with a college-preparatory academic curriculum. The ISA strives to prepare college-ready student-athletes who can think critically and lead in a diverse global community.”

Mr. Todd, a former Berkeley Institute student, says, “I thank Coach Reed and Team Hurricane for bringing this program to my attention. Team Hurricane prepared me for ISA with a training program with quality reps and a serious offensive system. I am excited for this opportunity to play basketball at a high level every day. I look forward to meeting new people and making new friends. ISA will put me on the right path to hopefully play college basketball one day.” Bob Bossman, Executive Director and Co-Founder of ISA, says, “We are very excited to have Devin join the ISA program. He is young and has shown very solid skills. We are confident he will excel and take his game to new levels and we hope he is the first of many future Bermuda basketball players to attend ISA.”

Nate Thomas

The spokesperson said, “Nate Thomas, a former Somersfield Academy student now entering his sophomore year at the Winchendon School (MA), participated in two Ivy League elite camps this August – the Amaker Basketball Elite Academy at Harvard University and the Jim Engles Elite Basketball Camp at Columbia University. The mission of Head Coach Tommy Amaker’s Elite Academy is to provide aspiring student-athletes with a comprehensive “Scholars and Ballers” experience on the campus of Harvard University. The Elite Academy provides a competitive environment for players interested in a challenging academic and athletic college experience. Columbia University’s Elite Camp, led by Head Coach Jim Engles, is designed to provide campers entering eighth grade or higher who aspire to play at the college level the opportunity to compete with other campers under the observation of college coaches.”

Speaking about his experience at the elite camp, Mr. Thomas says, “My elite experience at Harvard was interesting and competitive. During the presentation, it was clear that everyone was fighting for the limited spots. My experience at the elite camp at Columbia University was different from Harvard. The pace of the game was extremely fast. I learned that I have to learn to adapt to the different speeds of the game.” The dynamic 5’9″ point guard adds, “The highlight of my experience was being able to compete at the NCAA Division One level, one of the highest levels in a sport I love. Overall, what stood out to me most was meeting Chandler Pigge, one of the Harvard players whose story touched me. Although he was American, Chandler lived abroad because his parents were in the military. He didn’t get much attention in America, but he was still able to be recruited to play for Harvard. Now he is a rising junior in college basketball. This showed me that opportunities are out there, but some people have to work harder to take advantage of them. By chance, he was doing a preparatory year at the school and actually played in the same league that I play in now.”

Mr. Thomas’s experience with Team Hurricane prepared him well for the type of competitive environment found at elite camps. He says, “Coach Reed always told me to be confident and trust my abilities. He developed me as a player and taught me the fundamentals. His style is unique and that showed when I was at Columbia because one of the coaches asked me where I got the confidence to throw the way I do. When I called Coach Reed’s name, he immediately recognized the name and my style.”

Jacob Hines

The spokesperson said, “MSA’s Jacob Hines attended Barry University’s elite basketball camp led by head coach Butch Estes. The camp was held at the school’s beautiful Miami Shores campus and its health and athletic center, where Coach Estes and his team evaluated Jacob and other prospects in a tryout-like setting.”

Mr. Hines is a lethal 6’2″ shooting guard who says, “Overall, it was a good experience. It was good to play against guys who were bigger, taller and sometimes stronger. The coaches made sure everything was precise so we played at a high level. Everything was fast and expedited. We were able to tour the campus. It was beautiful. We were able to see their academic programs. I really enjoyed the experience because I had never been on a college campus before.” He adds, “Playing with Team Hurricane helped me a lot. The offense we played at Barry University is very similar to Team Hurricane. When I played in Canada with the national team, we played very differently than in America. But playing with Team Hurricane and in their offense helped me a lot. Because of the things I learned with the Hurricanes, I wasn’t behind.”

Doug Reed, founder and head coach of Team Hurricane, is thrilled to have these elite opportunities for his players. He plans to provide even more elite experiences for Team Hurricane’s student-athletes in the future. “Our program is full of many talented players from our elementary school division to our two high school divisions. Additionally, Team Hurricane has a style of play that prepares them for such opportunities. We preach, ‘Play fast, but with discipline. Make your decisions with determination and decisiveness. And most importantly, play with confidence… believe in yourself.’ So I’m very excited to see our players use what they learn in the Hurricane program to showcase their skills and compete at a high level against other talented student-athletes in the U.S. and elsewhere.”

The spokesperson said, “To learn more about the Team Hurricane Basketball Academy and how to enroll your child in this free program, please contact Coach Doug Reed at 504-1962 and via email at [email protected]. Also follow Team Hurricane Basketball on their Facebook page Team Hurricane Basketball Academy as well as on Twitter at https://twitter.com/hurricanehoops1 and our website. For more information about ISA Basketball, visit their website.”

Nate Thomas with Columbia University basketball coach Jake Brown.