Lake Worth’s Cylla to play for Haitian team

Former Lake Worth star Jeantal Cylla will be representing Haiti on the basketball court.

The UNC-Wilmington forward was selected to the Haitian National Team on Monday after impressing coaches at the team’s training camp in Miami this past week.

“It means a lot to me, because my mom takes so much pride in our culture,” said Cylla, whose mother was born in Haiti. “[The country] has been through a lot with the earthquake and the economy. [We want] to try and uplift the people and give them something to look forward. To put Haiti on my chest is great and is making my family proud.”

Cylla, 21, won’t wait long to make his international debut; Haiti will compete next week in the FIBA AmeriCup 2021 Caribbean Pre-Qualifier. The tournament runs from Sunday through June 30 in Paramaribo, Suriname.

A West Palm Beach native, Cylla was a standout during his high school career. In his senior season at Lake Worth, the 6-foot-7 wing averaged 27 points and 11 rebounds, earning All-State honors. He signed with FAU and played his freshman and sophomore seasons in Boca Raton, averaging 9.7 and 7.1 points per game, respectively.

Cylla elected to transfer last year and sat out this past season, per NCAA transfer rules. The redshirt junior will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Seahawks.

While the past week has been a whirlwind — Cylla will fly out of Miami tonight for the tournament — he’s excited about the chance at hand.

“It’s a great opportunity to play a little professionalstyle ball in preparation for the next level,” Cylla said. “Our goal is to be in the Olympics in 2024.”