TALENTED and athletic is how the coaches of Claflin State University and Delaware State University basketball teams described local players, following their week-long visit to Trinidad and Tobago earlier this month.

The two United States university squads were in T&T to fulfill previous arrangements made by the National Basketball Federation of Trinidad and Tobago (NBFTT) on behalf of the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT).

Claflin State University campaigned in Division Two of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), where they finished the 2007-08 season with a 24-2 record.

Speaking to the Express at the Jean Pierre Complex, Port of Spain, Claflin's head coach RE Woodard observed that local players are athletically sound, but lack the necessary skills and fundamentals to be effective in execution.

"You have got a lot of good athletic players here," said Woodard, who has been the coach of Claflin State University for the past five years and a coach for 15 years overall.

He added: "But they are not fundamentally sound and they need to work on that if they are to be effective in their execution."

Woodard also said, despite their weakness, T&T players can become very dangerous if "you allowed them to stick around in the game".

"They could be very scary on the floor if you allowed them to hang around because they have the size, they are alert and they are very quick over the floor," said the Orangeburg-based university coach.

Keith Walker, coach of Delaware State University who placed fourth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference last season, also highlighted similar sentiments to that of his countryman.

"What you have here are players who have extremely good athletic ability, speed and skills that need refining," said Walker.

According to Walker, systems must be put in place to develop the players' all-round capabilities, so their skills can be refined.

"The players need some development programmes to help them acquire the basics of the game so they can be very competitive throughout," Walker explained.

On court in T&T, both US universities played four games apiece against local all star teams and were victorious in all of them and in commanding fashion.

They came up against zonal champions Petro Jazz of the South Zone and perennial East Zone powerhouse UTC Maloney Pacers.

They were also triumphant over a North Zone Under-23 squad, North Zone Seniors plus a T&T Senior All Star line-up at the Jean Pierre Complex last week.