The BPBL is about three weeks away from tipoff, and the player carousel is in full rotation. The balance of power has clearly shifted—now resting with the teams that have invested in building strong local rosters. That’s where championships will be won or lost. It’s no longer about who can bring in the flashiest import, but who can develop and retain top-tier homegrown talent.
That said, when the dust settles among the top contenders—most of whom already have elite locals like Coope Lopez, Arik Nicholas, John Kelly, Brandon Flowers, and Francis Arana—the final edge may come down to the selection of the Belizean-American and foreign-born player. These picks won’t carry the team, but they could be the piece that pushes a great team into contender status. It’s not the spotlight move—it’s the finishing touch.
All the hand-wringing and late-night boardroom anxiety will center around how to spend those precious slots. The rules are clear: you only get one chance to fix your mistake. Otherwise, it’s “better luck next year.”
The purpose of this post is to shine a spotlight on the decisions being made by those responsible for player selection and roster construction. These takes are solely the opinion of one man and do not reflect the official stance of the BPBL. What this post does have in common with the league’s philosophy is a deep desire to bring light—and accountability—to those with the power to shape a team.
So let’s see who steps up. Can we spot the Rob Pelinka or Nico Harrison of the BPBL?
Rosters are due this month. The names will update this first Power Ranking, and once the games begin, wins and losses will tell us everything we need to know about how the league’s GMs are really performing.
So sit back, relax, and let’s see these rosters.
The newest entrant to the professional basketball scene was the Corozal Cerros Suns. Back in the day, when Troy Gabb was running a vibrant professional league, young superstars like Kirk “Shabba” Smith did a landmark signing with the Corozal Khaos under GM Doyle Flowers. Corozal exploded on the scene in the 1990’s-2000’s, seemingly out of nowhere. After epic battles with big teams like the Kremandala Raiders on the Corozal Bay coastline, the city proved that with the right players and management, along with community financing, they can produce high-level entertainment in the city of Corozal that the community can rally alongside. As the only community that has active tournaments all year and during the COVID period, the resilience and continuity of Corozal basketball cannot be ignored or taken lightly. Now more than 20 years later, along come the Cerros Suns. Their close relationship with their Mexican counterparts makes it difficult to gauge their level of talent, and so because they are new and unknown, we place them here. However, if history is any judge, we will see that Corozal could very well be that “surprise” crash to the big dance that Griga and Sharks are and rightly should be nervous about.
The PG Panthers showed tremendous potential when they stormed onto the scene in 2019 with the likes of Campbell, a special talent that broke the league’s assist record with a 20- dime piece on opening night. The stadium was packed and upset alert was sent across the league when they downed the visiting Sharks powerhouse. Alas, it has all been downhill from there. The Panthers left the league in 2022 and stood on the sidelines for a time. Now, with the community and local players-focused BPBL, this natural fit to their business model and budget has seen the resurgence of the Panthers. After snagging the services of noted basketball legend and top basketball strategist and trainer Alex Carcamo, Panthers quickly made their presence felt on the ground during the free agent frenzy. After snagging some big names, they are still in the hunt for some key local pieces which, if it falls their way, could see them at the very least competing for the Toucan Cup. With an experienced management and marketing team and now with one of the most feared basketball minds in camp, it may be a bit late for the Panthers in 2025, but come 2026, for sure, they will be competing for the Toucan Cup and likely be in the Jungle by 2026.
The withdrawal of the Belize Hurricanes and the Belize City Defenders from active competition has left a void in the city. This is a city with a 10,000+ fanbase and a 3,000+ paying in-person audience that is now open for new business. Enter the Belize City Thunderbolts. This new team emerged from the ashes of these two powerhouses with the power to merge the roster of two titans into a super team. However, their Achilles heel was that many of their star players were Belizean Americans. The new rules of the BPBL only allow one (1) Naturalized Belizean American to be on the roster, which meant open season for the players from these teams to be distributed all over the league—you can only have one. This creates a challenge for the Belize City Thunderbolts who find a market where their big-name star players, being freed from the shackles of team loyalty, are free to shop their services everywhere and anywhere. It is yet to be seen where key league superstars like Glancy Lopez, John Kelly, and Eyan Rene will fall (Minister Devin Daly is now off the board?). Until this crisis is settled, the Thunder remains down in the cellar. However, if the new management is able to capture the imagination and pocketbook of any combination of these proven champions, the Sharks could very well find themselves looking up at a new number one heir to the first-ever Jaguar Cup. We will know on April 24 if the Thunderbolts will rise to the top or sink to the bottom of the standings.
Belmopan was always a threat to return to prominence after their Farron Louriano and Devin Daly fueled championship run of 2017. Now, 8 years later, they seem poised for that return to prominence. With a first-rate and formidable new management team in place and raising young stars like home-grown Jayden Lopez and Jevon “Chucky” McKenzie as a foundation, Belmopan is a real threat to Cayo for supremacy of the East-West Mayan Division. There seems to be a breath of fresh air in Belmopan as players, management, and sponsors all finally have realigned to present the capital as potentially a Jaguar Cup contender—if a few outstanding missing pieces fall into place. Perhaps their biggest move was to lure a hall of fame Belizean basketball star with international experience and success to come out of the shadows and impart his international basketball knowledge to the Capital City Kings. All things considered, these are all the pieces necessary to at the very least have the Belmopanese pumping their chest and talking smack-a definite out of character move these normally quiet and reserved intellectuals.
The first home run hit in the pre-season was by Cayo. This move immediately set them up to be the favorite in the West and the likely contender for the Jaguar Championship. Western Ballaz has been to the finals twice and were a dominant force before the league opened up to foreign play. Famous for sticking to home-grown players, their formula is perfect for the BPBL, and they are most poised to take advantage of the community-based BPBL philosophy. To top it off, they have tapped the services of NEBL championship coach and U17 history maker (2023 FIBA U17 Bronz Medalist) Bernie Tarr to return as a stabilizing force on the bench. With a steady group of home-grown kids that can now contribute on a
more level playing field and the addition of timely foreign support, Western Ballaz stands as the early favorite in the Mayan East-West Conference, thanks to savvy early management moves. With Cayo unveiling a new court and a proven fan base that has packed out all games for the past 5 years, Cayo is emerging as a prime destination for the BPBL and may soon find themselves not only playing in but hosting the future Jaguar Championship.
A perennial playoff contender, Griga has the most talented and athletic group of locals led by his namesake Edgar Mitchell. Griga was always a piece away and a game away from the championship, and with the new format, it favors their local talent pool. They still have some pieces that are out there that, if it pans out, could land easily in the number one spot. With renewed energy from the “top” and a fan base that is hands down the toughest road environment, Griga is poised to battle with the Sharks for the right to enter the Jungle at the Jaguar Championship. The fact that the top two teams in the league (in my opinion) hails from the same conference suggests that the Toucan may be the toughest division to come out of. Nothing is further from the truth as we will see when we look at the Mayan conference. One thing is certain, there is only space for one from the Jaguar (North-South Division).
The Sharks have emerged as the frontrunners to win the inaugural Jaguar Championship. They boast a stable roster, featuring players who have competed together for years at the highest level. Their core of young, local talent is arguably the strongest we’ve seen performing on this stage. If national team superstar Jehad Wright returns for his fifth season as team leader, alongside 2024 coach of the year and three time NEBL Championship winning coach Riko Black—the league’s only year-round, championship-winning coach with three titles to his name—they will be incredibly difficult to beat. Rico has consistently graced the league with foreign players who has displayed skills never seen before in the league past. His ability to find unique gems as key pieces to his local talent makes him especially dangerous as the BPBL returns to a majority local talent base-RICO’s Wheelhouse. Their gritty, high-energy, tenacious style is well established, and their team culture remains consistent no matter who steps onto the court. They’re my early-season pick to win it all.
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