Basseterre, St. Kitts (January 10, 2008): SKABA 2007 playoff finals MVP and National power forward Nasharn “Big Nash” Maynard is about to fullfil a liflelong dream for the new year .

The 6-foot-6 basketball forward, celebrated the local SKABA National championship title with his St.Pauls Tuff Knots teammates on the weekend, and is now preparing to take the long journey to Alaska , U.S.A. on a full basketball scholarship. 

The opportunity to attend the University of Alaska , Fairbanks (UAF) is as a result of the Reach One, Teach One basketball camp which was initially organized by the St.Kitts Amateur Basketball Association in colloboration with the Department of Sports. Maynard said that Coach Daniel Prince of the University of California , Irvine , who was a facilitator at the ten day camp, recommended him to colleagues in Alaska . 

Maynard said that he had ambitions to attend college and is extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend college free of cost. He encouraged other young persons to seize opportunities that may arise, just as he did, describing it as rare and life altering. 

The 21-year-old athlete started playing the game at age ten and branched out into competitive basketball five years ago. Since then he has earned a number of individual awards including the local association’s Most Valuable Player title in the ‘A’ Division in 2005 and again in the Premier Division playoffs in 2007.

It is this talent and natural leadership ability which made him an important recruit for UAF’s Interim Head Coach Clemon (Clem) Johnson.

“Nash is a disciplined, focused, talented and intelligient player and it is certainly a pleasure to see that his hard work as a player with the Tuff Knots and the National Junior and Senior teams is paying off with this full scholarship,” said former SKABA Vice President Wallis “Wally” Wilkin. 

Nash is the 7th SKABA player in the past 3 years to earn themselves basketball scholarships to US schools. He joins other SKABA scholarship players Hamil Bassue, Ohtneil Hyliger, Geniece Bassue, Marvin Davis, Kemo Duncan, Dane Rawlins, Arcilla Jeffers and Jerran Morris who are all in various US colleges and Universities on basketball scholarships. 

While at University, Nashorn Maynard will pursue a Degree in Computer Science. He will spend his four years on the court playing for the Alaska Nanooks Men’s basketball team which competes in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).