balmy shores of Bermuda.

With visions of Nigerian export Hakeem Olajuwon and a host of others dancing in their heads, American coaches have begun waving scholarship offers at a pair of Island products.

Winston Johnson and Sullivan Phillips, both high school seniors at American prep schools, represent the new breed of Bermuda athletes: Home grown talent excelling at traditionally non-Bermudian sports.

That it should be basketball, which is encroaching on soccer's domain as the world game, makes their standing more remarkable.

Other players, such as David Patrick, who recently transferred from Syracuse University to Southern, have Bermudian roots but travelled extensively and grew up in the US. Johnson, Phillips and, to a lesser extent, Sean Brown, attended school in Bermuda up until a year ago, when their talent necessitated a more competitive environment.

"At the risk of self-aggrandisement, this should be an indication of the type of skill and basketball knowledge we're imparting on these kids,'' says Island basketball guru Freddie Evans.

The Jackson State (Mississippi) alumnus and former president of the Bermuda Basketball Association, coached Johnson at Whitney Institute while Phillips attended Bermuda Institute. Both took part in Evans' summer basketball camps and both were soon "head and shoulders'' above the crowd.

Two years ago the time came when, as Evans says, "they had to get out of here.'' A few phone calls, faxes, film clips and recruiting sessions later, the decision was made.

Johnson, a 6-foot-6 forward, went to Severn Prep in Saverna Park, Maryland.

Phillips, a 6-foot-4 point guard, went to Garden State Academy, a Seventh Day Adventist school in Tranquility, New Jersey.

This year, top Division I and II universities have already filled their respective mailboxes with correspondence.

Johnson appears to be drawing the most attention. He was a Baltimore Top 50 player last year, aced his SAT exams during the summer and, when the season starts next month, is expected to among the best players in a city full of them.

Said Evans: "I could see Winston had lot of potential. But in order to reach that potential we had get him more games against better competition.

"The kind of year he has will determine what school offers him a scholarship.'' Phillips, who averaged 27 points a game for Garden State last season, has something a little subtle: Court sense, that instinctive ability to see the entire floor and make split-second decisions.

"That's something you can't teach,'' said Evans.

Phillips comes by his gift naturally: His father, who died during the summer, was a former US college player.

Brown, meanwhile, is at Kings Edgehill school in Nova Scotia primarily for academics. Of course, that was when he was 5-foot-11. Two years later, he's an eye-popping 6-foot-8 forward/centre.