Bermuda basketball player Terrence Dill this week began his mission to win a professional contract at the International Basketball Tryouts in New York.

Dill, 23, caught the eye of former Hall of Fame and Buffalo Stampede general manager Roosevelt Bouie during the recent Bermuda Gas SKY All-Star weekend at Berkeley Institute who invited him to the three-day trials.

Scouts from Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland and Czech Republic are expected to attend the event which features an All-Star game and skills competition.

Bouie's Rampage, who play in the nine-team Premier Basketball League (PBL), will also be on the look-out for emerging young talent.

Six-foot seven, Dill, said he was "speechless" when SKY Streetball organiser Lee Greene informed him he had been selected for trials.

"I'm still speechless at the moment," said the Devonshire Dragons player.

"I'm happy, it's a great opportunity to progress in not only my basketball career but also my life.

"I'm also very thankful for being selected because they could have chosen anyone to get this chance.

"This opportunity also goes to show people that no matter where you come from, even a small island like Bermuda, no matter what you have done in your life, there are choices.

"For every choice you make there are consequences and for me my consequences are good."

The power forward is hoping to emulate sons of the soil, Sullivan Phillips and David Patrick, who have both played professionally overseas.

"When I heard of Sullivan Phillips I said I wanted to be like him," said Dill, who attended Texas A & M University for two years. "Hopefully I'm helping establishing a stepping stone for young Bermuda male and female basketball players to the professional ranks."

Greene from, SKY Streetball, said Dill's British passport could also work to his advantage because teams in the European leagues are only allowed a certain number of North American players.

"Roosevelt saw Terrence dunk and said he could probably only do it once, but then he went and did it again," said Greene.

'"Although the All-Star team were getting beat by the SKY team, Roosevelt noticed that Terrence didn't give up on anything, he was fighting for every ball and never gave up.

"Roosevelt has sent Dill's bio to all the scouts who will be attending the trials and this is an awesome chance for him."

Allan Walker, president of Bermuda Basketball Association (BBA), said the trials would be a real learning curve for Dill.

"I feel confident Terrence will go and give a good account of himself," he said.

"If he gets recruited, then great. If he doesn't then he has still created an opportunity for himself and he will know what it takes to get to the next level.

"I'm sure Terrence will do himself proud, we're proud of him. Basketball's growing on the Island. We hope to be one of the top three sports on the Island."