MIAMI (United States) – Until about 5 years ago, Nicaragua was outside the FIBA World Ranking Top 100. However, since appointing Puerto Rican head coach David Rosario in 2021, the national team started rising up the rankings to their current No. 79 spot. This has been a considerable jump for a nation that did not have a strong basketball tradition, but that had been working on changing that reality. At the club level, with Rosario at the helm, we’ve seen Real Estelí make the country proud by participating in every edition of BCL Americas. In fact, in 2021 they reached the Final and finished second after losing to Brazilian powerhouse Flamengo. Meanwhile, at the national team level, they’ve been consistently competing at different events and categories in Central America, and that has allowed them to identify several talented players.
"We started working on this national project and we went from less to more. At the beginning, the country was coming off 5 years without playing at the international level in any category, and that set basketball back. But we started working, scouting and finding players and to project,” Rosario said.
Right now, Nicaragua has around 10 athletes playing college basketball in the United States, mainly in the Florida area. Prospects Norchad Omier and Kaleb Bernard lead the pack and are expected to join the national team in the near future. With them on the roster and other players from the domestic league, like veteran captain Francisco Garth, Josmel Martínez, Andy Pérez, Jensen Campbell, Ponce Ferguson and the naturalized Jared Ruiz, the Central American outfit raised their level in 2023 and beat more experienced squads like Cuba and Virgin Islands to advance for the first time to the AmeriCup Qualifiers – ensuring they could compete with the best in the continent. With their spot secured for the Qualifiers, the country asked to host the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 and got the designation. To host the tournament represents a huge challenge and the highest point in the history of Nicaraguan basketball.
We worked hard to get here. All the people in charge of basketball in Nicaragua, the federation, the administrative folks at Real Estelí and myself, we took on a project that seemed complicated,” Rosario said.
"When they decided to hire us for a long period of time, we started to create academies, to work with coaches and to compete, which was very important. We got good results at the Central American level. The experience of Real Estelí at BCL Americas gave us a big boost, and to face World Cup-level countries like Canada, Dominican Republic and Mexico at the AmeriCup Qualifiers was a great learning experience. We saw great growth from the guys, who played at a good level. Maybe not at the level of guys who went to the Olympics or the World Cup, but we noted a big improvement that allowed us to better the national team,” he added. Noel Makence, an assistant to Rosario at both the national team and Real Estelí, was also one of the best players out of Nicaragua and has been a key witness of what’s happening. “I had the opportunity to follow the previous regimes, and the evolution has been significant. I think we’re seeing the best version of Nicaraguan basketball. I played from 1995 to 2019 and since around 2018 or 2019 our basketball was showing growth, but the arrival of Rosario marked a big change. His help and knowledge have been crucial, because he’s working on all the categories, from youth to even women’s. He’s been following and advising the other coaches. For me, it’s been a special process because in 2018 we were No. 116 in the FIBA World Ranking and now we’re above No. 80,” he said.
A huge challenge
The expectations for the FIBA AmeriCup are high. For the first time in its history, the country will host many of the best players in the Americas, and they want to leave a great impression both at the organizational and sporting levels. “This event will aid the growth of our basketball because the guys will have the chance to show their talent. As a team, we’ve been together for around 4 years and developed chemistry and a dynamic with established roles. Personally, I think it’s beautiful to have this chance to represent Nicaragua and be here with the guys under David Rosario,” said Jared Ruiz, who was born in Puerto Rico and is the leader of the team.
Nicaragua will play for the first time in an AmeriCup and despite being at home, they arrive as the team with the smallest pedigree. The objective is to have the best possible showing in front of their home fans, but according to Ruiz, the team doesn’t need to deal with any added pressure. “We don’t have pressure because we’re a team that is on an upward trajectory and has nothing to lose. We want our fans to be proud, but the main thing is to enjoy and learn from the experience of competing against the best in the continent. What we can guarantee is that we’ll prepare very well, and we’ll give it our best,” said the veteran who averaged 16.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists during the Qualifiers. One of the biggest wishes for the team and fans alike is that some of their talent playing in the United States, mainly Norchad Omier, can join the team to have the strongest squad possible. He’s in his last year at the NCAA with Baylor University (with previous stops at Arkansas State and Miami) and is having a great season – averaging 15.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks. He has his sights on the NBA and will need to make decisions about his professional future, but his presence at AmeriCup hasn’t been ruled out.
“He’s a good young man, humble, with positive energy and vibes. He knows he has a responsibility to the country and the national team. It would be beautiful if we could give Nicaragua a good show. Everyone wants to see us together. At the national team we’re waiting with open arms. He’s ready to be the leader of the team,” said Ruiz about the young power forward. Beyond the results that Nicaragua could achieve during the tournament, the hope is that the experience of having the AmeriCup at home could continue to promote the sport and inspire more young people to play basketball. Makence said that, from his experience, the people from his country love the sport and if things keep going along these lines, the future will bring many more good players. “When Polideportivo Alexis Argüello opened in 2017 at the Central American Games, I had the chance to play a tournament for the first time in my own country. I remember and I’m speechless, I get goosebumps from remembering the emotions I felt. The gym had a capacity for 8,000 people and that time there were maybe 11,000. I’m sure that the national team will play in front of a full house in all their games. It’s the first time in the history of Nicaraguan basketball that we’ll host a tournament of this magnitude. It’s a great honor for us. I know that the fans will enjoy it and more young people will be excited.” FIBA