By Dwayne Tingley

Jaylen Bland and Braylon Rayson are the super-guard tandem that leads the Sudbury Five and the community has embraced their excellence on the court.

The National Basketball League of Canada team has decided to shine more spotlight on the high-scoring duo by featuring them in a March 15 skills camp at Cambrian College.

"Obviously, these are two very talented players who have a high profile and we wanted to give the camp a little flair with a play on their names," said Camron Martin, the Five's game day events co-ordinator.

"That's how we came up with Jaylen vs Braylon," he continued. "The camp will focus on development and teaching fundamentals, but there will also be games that will see Team Jaylen take on Team Braylen.

"I know the guys are looking forward to it and we're getting an incredible response. There is a lot of interest and it's filling up fast."

Bland leads the NBL of Canada in scoring with an average of 25.5 points per game. Rayson is seventh in the league with 19.9 points per game and is the defending most valuable player for the Five, who sit in second place in the Central Division.

The Braylon-Jaylen camp will see players divided into two age categories – 7-11 year-olds and 12-16 year-olds.

"We always want to give back to the community and the camp is also good for us to help promote the team," Martin noted.

"We're building a positive brand and it's encouraging when we see so many kids enjoying the sport of basketball. Our community is growing just like the franchise is growing. We are doing this together and it's an exciting time for everyone."

The team also operates the Five Academy, a series of clinics for young players. Several of the members of the Five's roster and coaching staff participate in the camps, which are nearly sold out.

"We're getting a positive response every time we work with the people of Sudbury and the whole region," Martin said. "It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun."