Five-time NBBF Premier League champions, Rivers Hoopers, are poised to defend their title at the Louis Edem Invitational Basketball Tournament, as they aim to use the competition as preparation for the fourth edition of the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

The Louis Edem Invitational Basketball Tournament will commence its third edition on Sunday, March 31 at the Surulere National Stadium indoor hall, Lagos, and close its curtains on Sunday, April 7, 2024.

The prestigious event, organised by the Louis Edem Foundation, was initially set for Abuja to open up the tournament to the Savannah Conference teams in the Nigeria Premier League based in the Northern Region. However, organisers verified that the tournament will stay in Lagos due to logistic considerations for the International teams participating this year.

The international outfits include ASPAC basketball and club Energie basketball club from Benin Republic, as well as Ghanaian top sides Customs Braves and Spintex Knights.

Reigning champions Rivers Hoopers, 2022 champions Kwara Falcons, Lagos Raptors, Lagos Legends, Comets, and Hoops and Read are the Nigerian sides expected to grace the tournament.

The KingsMen became champions after defeating Ghana’s Spintex Knights 74-56 in the final of the second edition held in September last year, going through the tournament without a defeat, and finishing with a 6-0 record.

The Rivers-based outfit would now look to shrug off 2022 champions Kwara Falcons and the chasing pack in a bid to retain the title and take on the Basketball Africa League in high spirits.

In the Basketball Africa League, the Kalahari Conference in South Africa has concluded; next in line is the Nile Conference in Cairo from Friday, April 19, to Saturday, April 27, followed by the Sahara Conference in Dakar from Saturday, May 4, to Sunday, May 12, and the playoffs and seeding games in Kigali from Friday, May 24, to Saturday, June 1, 2024.

Rivers Hoopers were grouped in the Sahara Conference along with US Monastir (Tunisia), AS Douanes (Senegal), and APR (Rwanda).