Julian Dunkley, coach of Jamaica's senior men's basketball team, said the team's prospects at qualifying look good for next summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

"The future looks very bright," said Dunkley. "We have the best assortment of young talent ever assembled and now is the time to capitalise on them," Dunkley stated.

Jamaica repelled all challenges last summer on their home floor and won the Caribbean Basketball Championships.

Also, they finished third at the Central America and Caribbean Games which qualified Jamaica to an eight-team play-off for the Olympics.

That play-off, which includes regional powerhouse the United States, will take place in September and the top two nations will win a berth at the Olympics.

This summer they will travel to The Bahamas to defend the Caribbean crown.

When he is not dealing with the Jamaica team, Dunkley works as an assistant coach at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. His responsibilities include film review and exchange, player development and domestic and international recruiting.

With over 50 student-athletes placed in high schools, colleges and Universities in the United States by the Jamaica Amateur Basketball Association (JABA), Dunkley is already envisioning the day he can pick the 'perfect team' to get Jamaica over the hump.

"I am using this opportunity to learn more about the game of basketball, learn different systems and get people to take note of the talent Jamaica possess," he says.

What makes his job easier is there are additional Jamaicans playing overseas, as well as players of Jamaican descent who are unknown to Jamaicans but not unknown to Dunkley.

"I am in touch with most of the guys, and I follow their progress throughout the season," Dunkley explains.

Division one career

He had a long and successful division one playing career. He graduated from the University of Maine and was also a two-time All-American East selection as well as a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District I All-Star second team selection.

Dunkley was also a member of the Temple University Owls, where he was a two-time NCAA Tournament participant.

After graduating from Maine, Dunkley played for the Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions of Vienna, Austria, where he was named the team Most Valuable Player while also earning first team All-Austria honours. He then played for Tekelspor of Istanbul, Turkey and was once again the team's Most Valuable Player.

Dunkley also played on the Jamaica national team from 1998-2002 and served as a co-captain. Last year he returned to Maine as an assistant coach.