Rivers Hoopers, the reigning NBBF champions, are representing Nigeria in the Basketball Africa League. They have advanced from the Sahara conference in Dakar, Senegal after finishing top of their group winning four out of six games. 

However, Nigeria’s representatives in the BAL have not always fared well since the league’s inception in 2021. Rivers Hoopers represented Nigeria in the inaugural edition and finished with a 1-2 record, while Kwara Falcons fared even worse and finished without a win.

After Rivers Hoopers’ exit in the first edition, the team’s management promised to come back stronger, and they did just that. The team not only performed better than their previous outing but also made it to the playoffs, a feat no other Nigerian team has accomplished.

In addition to their remarkable performance, Rivers Hoopers made and broke several Basketball Africa League (BAL) records, making their outing even more impressive. The achievements as compiled by Uche Emmanuel (@uch3_D_Fanatik on X) include:

– Most points by a player: 31 (Devine Eke and Will Perry)

– Most rebounds by a player: 19 (Olisaemeka)

– Most assists by a player: 9 (Kelvin Amayo and Will Perry)

– Most three-pointers made by a player: 7 (Will Perry)

– Most points per game: Will Perry (18.6 PPG)

– Most minutes played: 37.7 (Kelvin Amayo)

– Most assists per game: Kelvin Amayo (6.8 APG)

– Most rebounds per game: Peter Olisaemeka and Devine Eke (11.7 RPG)

– Largest win margin: 23 points against US Monastir

– Most team points in a game: 86 against APR

So, what changed between the Rivers Hoopers of the inaugural season and the current season? General Manager Ifie Ozaka shares his insights with Kristina Reports.

We kicked off the conversation by asking about the strategy employed by the Rivers Hoopers.

“We learnt from our first stint at the BAL. We made very strategic and purposeful signings and we had time to train and bond as a team in Nigeria before heading to Senegal.” Ozaka said. “We were very deliberate about what we wanted to achieve and our vision was clear. From when we won the 2024 Nigerian Premier Basketball League, we started planning towards the BAL.”

Ozaka credits the Rivers State government for its support, which played a significant role in securing the team’s current players and preparing them for the BAL.

“The government of Rivers state supported the cause by acting as sponsors and it played a major role in getting the players we have today and also preparing the team for the BAL.”

Regarding retaining imports for the 2024 NBBF league, Ozaka hopes to keep one or two signings, as most have other commitments.

“We hope to keep one or two of our signings for the NBBF League. Most of them already have other commitments.

As for a maiden BAL title, he is optimistic, admitting that “A podium finish won’t be bad.”

Amidst the growing concerns about the fate of local players, Ozaka assures that all local players, including those who didn’t travel for the BAL, are still with the team and earning from the BAL, thanks to a deliberate policy to maintain the team’s nucleus.

“All our players are still with the team. All our players, including those not in the BAL, are earning from the BAL. We came up with a deliberate policy that will ensure we do not destroy the nucleus of our team due to new signings for the BAL.”

Addressing fatigue concerns after a 3-0 start in the Sahara Conference, Ozaka notes that games are spaced out in the playoffs, allowing players recovery time.

“Games are spaced out for the playoffs to give the players at least a day to recover, so hopefully, this helps.” He also highlights the success of domestic players in the last two group-stage matches, which will give foreign imports more rest. “Our domestic players stepped up very well during the last two matches of the group stage. That will afford them more time on the court to give the foreign imports more rest, so as to avoid overworking them.”

Ozaka believes Rivers Hoopers’ success will impact the NBBF and Nigerian basketball, emphasizing the importance of early preparation and proper signings.

“I think the entire National Basketball League in Nigeria now knows that early preparation and proper signings are fundamental to the success of any team. He expects teams in the domestic league to come out strong, potentially with foreign imports, which will benefit Nigerian basketball.

“Every team in the domestic league will come out guns blazing to win the league and be at the BAL. I won’t be surprised to see some foreign imports in our league this season. Overall, it’s good for our domestic basketball.”

As the playoffs approach, Rivers Hoopers’ transformation has positioned them for success. With strategic planning and deliberate policies, they are poised to make a lasting impact on Nigerian basketball. The question now is, how far will they go?