PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers University junior guard Mike Coburn (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) will compete for the Jamaican National Basketball Team. Coburn, who is of Jamaican parentage, was named to the team this past Saturday in Kingston, when the Jamaican Basketball Association launched its ‘Team Jamaica – Road to London’s 2012 Olympics’ campaign.
“It’s been a great experience so far and I’m really looking forward to all that’s still to come,” said Coburn. “I have been blessed with great teammates and coaches and we are working hard. It’s definitely been a busy summer with the travel, but I have learned a lot. Playing for Jamaica is a tremendous opportunity. I just want to work hard and do whatever the team needs, so that I represent my family and Rutgers well.”
“We are very proud of Mike,” said Rutgers head coach Fred Hill. “He definitely earned this opportunity. Mike is a very gifted player who does things the right way. I’m confident that he will grow from his experiences this summer and will return to provide us great leadership.”
Coburn recently traveled Spain and the Canary Islands with the Rutgers basketball team from May 23-31. The Scarlet Knights were a perfect 4-0 against foreign club teams on the excursion, which also featured cultural tours and sightseeing endeavors. Coburn totaled 29 assists in the contests, while also shooting 43 percent from behind the arc.
A criminal justice major, Coburn earned the team’s George Mackaronis Scholar-Athlete Award this past winter. He played in all 32 games as a sophomore and was cited as a National Freshman of the Week in 2007-08.
Team Jamaica will participate in the Caribbean Basketball Championships from June 28 to July 4 in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The team boasts three players that competed in the BIG EAST Conference this past season: Coburn, Providence forward Weyinmi Efejuku and Louisville forward Samardo Samuels.
Team Jamaica is coached by Sam Vincent, who directed the Nigerian women's team to the Olympics in 2004. Vincent, who served as head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats in 2007-08, played guard in the NBA from 1985 to 1992 and won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 1986. He is assisted by former New Jersey high school product Julian Dunkley, who led the Jamaican team to the CBC title in 2006, and Paul Mokeski, who played 12 NBA seasons at center.
Coburn is one of two Rutgers players competing overseas this summer. Sophomore guard Mike Rosario (Jersey City, N.J.) is a member of the Puerto Rico U19 National Team and was named to World Juniors All-Tournament Team on June 14 for his play in France. PRU19 will next compete at the 2009 FIBA World Championships, set to take place in Auckland, New Zealand July 2-12.
