PhD Hoops USA Announces Team for 2026 Barbados Basketball Festival
LOS ANGELES, CA – May 12, 2026 – PhD Hoops USA announces the U21 team who will represent the USA at the Barbados Basketball Festival. This team will be on tour in Barbados from June 23-29, 2026 and competing in the Barbados Basketball Festival, a series of exhibition games on the island! The group will experience both high-level basketball and cultural sightseeing throughout the week.
PhD Hoops USA
(U21 Boys Team)
PLAYERS
Brendan Baker (Brooklyn, NY)
Sentwaki Drinker (Marietta, GA)
Markwan George (Houma, LA)
Ian Lopez (Plainview, TX)
Malik Moore (Queens, NY)
Jagger Rogers (Madill, OK)
Kade Schimke (Ellendale, ND)
Brylan Sims (Fayetteville, AR)
Hugh Thomson (Stockbridge, GA)
Rodney Wilkes III (Sacramento, CA)
Coach Rob Fry, Head Coach (Glendale, AZ), is coaching with PhD Hoops USA for the 4th consecutive year and is a recent recipient of the prestigious Coach Hutch Passion Award. Last summer, he coached two teams to undefeated Gold Medals. He has spent nearly two decades coaching basketball in different areas across the country, mostly as Head Coach and Program Director for both the Grand Park Premier (IN) and Arizona Premier (AZ). Additionally, he has served as the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Catalina High School in Tucson, Arizona. Coach Fry takes great pride in having assisted over 150 players achieve their goal of receiving a basketball scholarship, many of whom have gone on to play professionally in either the NBA or WNBA. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology while playing collegiately at Western Michigan University, followed by a short stint playing in the United States Basketball League (USBL).
TRIP LEADER - Ruben Leyva (Fort Stockton, TX)
Ruben Leyva is a longtime Trip Leader for PhD Hoops USA and has spent a lifetime making an impact as a coach and teacher in his hometown community. He currently serves as an Athletic Director and Head Coach, while also staying active as a Personal Trainer at TTA Sports, his private gym and training facility. He possesses nearly ten certifications in a variety of areas pertaining to coaching or training and has coached multiple sports for over two decades. He has established himself as a coach who demands discipline, hard work, respect, high integrity and great character. Last Fall, Coach Leyva was inducted into the distinguished PhD Hoops USA Ring of Honor. He graduated from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin with a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology.
Every PhD Hoops USA player goes through an extensive Player Profile process. Click here for more information on PhD Hoops USA and our Upcoming Tours or contact us at travel@phdhoops.com or (310) 620-6639.
