Coming off the back of winning the Louis Edem Championship, Rivers Hoopers are set to compete in the NBBF Premier League as the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) confirmed that 31 clubs will take part in the competition.

The participating teams will be divided into two conferences: the Atlantic Conference, consisting of 16 teams, and the Savannah Conference, having 15 teams. The NBBF has stated that the league will follow a structure comprising three phases: Phase One, Conference finals, and Final Four.

During the first Phase, both the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences will be further divided into four divisions. Teams will simultaneously play matches across various venues from Saturday, October 21 to Sunday, October 29, 2023.

In the Atlantic Conference, eight teams will compete in Ibadan and Asaba. The featured teams in Asaba include the Rivers Hoopers, Delta Force, Oriental Giants (Awka), Camac (Warri), Lagos Raptors, Police Batons, Lagos Legends, and Lagos Warriors. These teams will face off in a round-robin format.

The top four teams from each division will earn their spots in the Conference finals, slated for Saturday, November 4 to Sunday, November 12, 2023, with the exact venue yet to be determined.

The two toughest teams from each conference will advance to the thrilling Final Four stage, where they will engage in a best-of-three-game series starting from Monday, November 20, 2023.

The NBBF Premier League will serve as a stage to showcase the best of Nigerian basketball talents, revive the Basketball Vulture in the country and give players a chance to represent Nigeria on the African and international stage.

The competition is expected to be feisty and thrilling, as these teams battle for the coveted spot in the Basketball Africa League.