NASSAU (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers) - With only two games left in the first round of qualification for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the Bahamas (0-4) must win away at the U.S. Virgin Islands (1-3) on June 28, their rival for the last spot into the next phase. Losing that would make their last match at the Dominican Republic on July 2 a swan song for the current cycle through Tokyo.

At home against the USVI on November 27, the Bahamas were within 3 points several times in the waning moments of the fourth quarter but could not cross the gap, finally losing 85-93.

As the song goes, they need a hero and Chavano Rainier "Buddy" Hield could be the man.

He's only suited up once for the Bahamian national team, four years ago at the FIBA Americas 2014 Centrobasket, but Hield was the hero then. Though the Bahamas finished 7^th in that event, Hield, just a rising junior at the University of Oklahoma, topped the scoring list, edging NBA veteran and Puerto Rico court leader J.J. Barea.

The 6'4" (1.93m) Hield had a solid year for the Sacramento Kings in his second NBA season, averaging 13.5ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.9apg, with shooting percentages of 2FG: 45.7%, 3FG: 43.1% and FT: 87.7%. All numbers were improvements from his rookie season.

Buddy Hield, seen here at the 2014 Centrobasket, could help the Bahamas drive to the second round.

He wants to represent his homeland again and would like to bring some friends along.

"I would try to recruit some guys like Eric Gordon, Mychel Thompson, Deandre Ayton, some guys who could help us a lot in trying to qualify. I think that would be good. They are from there, so we could be good. I think we would have a chance."

Thompson was also on that 2014 Centrobasket side and is currently on the roster of the Santa Cruz Warriors, the G League affiliate of the Golden State team where his brother Klay has become an established NBA star.

Their father, Mychal Thompson, had long been the most famous and successful Bahamian basketball player until Klay's ascent with two NBA titles and Olympic and FIBA World Cup gold medals.

Mychal won consecutive NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, after playing most of his career with the Portland Trailblazers who made him the first foreign-born #1 NBA draft pick in 1978. Though he contemplated running for prime minister at one point, the elder Thompson never took the court for his home country.

While Thompson may be available, Hield's other two Bahamian dream team targets are pretty impossible as far as this summer goes.

DeAndre Ayton played for the Bahamas at the 2016 Centrobasket

Ayton, the latest Nassau native to star in the American collegiate ranks, is most unlikely to be one of them at this point, regardless of Hield's powers of persuasion.

He played for the senior team at the 2016 Centrobasket but is now entering the NBA draft after one season at the University of Arizona and is a projected top pick ahead of Slovenian Luka Doncic and Duke's Marvin Bagley III. The draft takes place just a week before Bahamas match at the U.S. Virgin Islands on June 28 and the lottery has better odds than that the club picking him would be open to his participation this summer.

To get Gordon, who was born in Indianapolis but whose mother is from the Bahamas, moved from improbable to impossible as he was named in early April to the 35-player roster by USA Basketball for the 2018-2020 Men's National Team.

To be fair, Hield spoke to FIBA well before that announcement and may have thought that Gordon, who represented the champion USA at the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Istanbul, might be open to representing the Bahamas, since he already had a medal, if that hadn't happened.

Bahamas Coach Mario Bowleg

Bahamas Coach Mario Bowleg told FIBA in March that they will try to go after other players in U.S. colleges and foreign leagues.

"We could get Buddy," said Bowleg. "He said he wants to come home and play."  

If the Bahamas are to have any real chance of making the next round, he may have to be that hero.

FIBA