Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter 
St. Catherine High's Javan Bailey (left) cuts hard to the hoop, blowing by Wolmers's Jamie Robert (centre) while his teammate Adrian Blake (right) looks on in semi-final action from the KFC/ISSA All-Island Championships at the National Stadium Courts on Thursday April 6. Bailey had 25 points and 9 assists in a 61-58 victory, which saw St. Catherine advance to the finals. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
SOME OF the island's top players will showcase their various skills when the bmobile/KFC National Basketball League (NBL) All-Star weekend tips off at the National Stadium Courts at 12 noon today.
This year's event, held under the Jamaica Basketball Association (JBA) theme "shoot hoops not guns", will see the 3-point shoot-out and slam dunk competition and the East versus West NBL All-Star game.
The Eastern Conference squad will be coached by the Denham Wizards' Steve Fray who saw his team head into the All-Star break with a very impressive 13-1 record. His top forward Anthony Farquharson, who is definitely a candidate for Most Valuable Player this season will lead the charge of a squad which will also feature St. George's Slayers newly-signed point guard Michael Jackson, and forwards André Wilson and Kali McCarthy who have both had excellent seasons so far.
They are however expected to face a strong challenge from the West, who will be coached by the Urban Knights' Calvin Martin. Martin's Knights have a 10-2 record headed into the break. The West will depend on the double threat of guards Lancelot Grandison and Paul Oliphant, who have led the Knights charge so far, while sharpshooter Garfield Campbell and big man Duken Brown should provide even more fire power.
SEMI-FINALS
The All-Star activities will be preceded by two semi-final games of the KFC/ISSA All-Island Championships. In the under 16 division Old Harbour will take on Ardenne at 12:00 p.m., and in under 19 action Old Harbour take on St. Jago at 4:00 p.m. In between the games the youngsters will take the time to show their skills in the high school slam dunk and three-point competitions. The NBL Slam Dunk contest will get under way at 6:00 p.m. followed by the All-Star game at 7:00 p.m.
All-Star squads: Eastern: (Guards) Nicholas Rooms - Storms, Kirk Ferguson -Wizards, Jermaine Mascoe - Flames, Michael Jackson - Slayers; (Forwards) Kali McCarthy - Slayers, Andree Wilson - Slayers, Anthony Farquharson - Wizards, Greg Warlock - Rebels; (Centre) Gary Reid - Lakers, Ryan Smith - Storms.
Western: (Guards) Paul Oliphant - Knights, Lancelot Grandison - Knights, Delano Mallett - Arnett, Omar Barnes - Tivoli; (Forwards) Damion Young - Tivoli, Linton Murray - Knights, Garfield Campbell - Link-Up, Carlos Malcolm - Link-Up; (Centre) Duken Brown - Tivoli, Desmond Harriot - Panthers.
