Basket Ball / Sports

Nigeria Beat Argentina in exhibition game 94-71 two days after beating Team USA

Nigeria continues to tear things up on the hardwood ahead of the Summer Olympics.

Led by former NBA head coach Mike Brown, Nigeria followed up its 90-87 upset of Team USA with a 94-71 demolition against Argentina, the world’s No. 4 side. That’s two massive wins for D’Tigers as they ramp up ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. And they’re not just hitting shots on the court.

Jahlil Okafor led Nigeria with 15 points while Josh Okogie and Chimezie Metu had 10 each. Nigeria limited Argentina to 35.9 percent shooting from the floor while hitting 48.1 percent of its own shots. D’Tigers didn’t make an insane amount of triples this time around, but did well enough in other areas to win in a rout.

Many pundits and fans were blasting Team USA for losing to Nigeria, but it’s becoming clear D’Tigers are no pushovers. A 23-point win over Argentina shows Nigeria has the talent and coaching to make noise in the upcoming Olympics. Keep an eye on this group going forward.…

Basket Ball / Sports

D’Tigers call 49 players for Tokyo 2020 Olympics camp in California

With an eye on a podium performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which begins next month, the men’s senior national basketball team, D’Tigers, have invited 49 players to begin final preparations for the global fiesta.

 

The camp will be based in California, U.S, with Head Coach, Mike Brown, looking out for the best possible players that can take Nigeria to the medal table in Japan.

The team is dominated by players from United States’ NBA, including Monte Morris of Denver Nuggets, Miye Oni (Utah Jazz), OG Anunoby (Toronto Raptors), Kz Okpala (Miami Heat), Festus Ezeli, Precious Achiuwa (Miami Heat), Udoka Azubuike (Utah Jazz), and Jahlil Okafor (Detroit Pistons). These stars are all set to make their international debuts for Nigeria.

According to Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Josh Okogie (Minnesota Timberwolves) will join other NBA players, who include Gabe Vincent (Miami Heat), Al-farouq Aminu (Chicago Bulls), Jordan Nwora (Milwaukee Bucks) and Chimezie Metu (Sacramento Kings), who are returning to the team after their 2019 FIBA World Cup exploit which saw Nigeria becoming the first African team to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics alongside Ike Diogu (Bameso, Dominican Republic).

“The European legion comprises Obi Emegano (Fuenlabrada, Spain), Ike Iroegbu (Elan Chalon, France), Michael Oguine (BC Souffelweyersheim, France), Zaid Hearst (Alba Fehervar, Hungary), Ike Nwamu (Samara, Russia) and Michael Gbinije (BC Nevèżíe, Lithuania).

Other European stars in the squad are Talib Zanna (Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Israel), Emmanuel Omogbo (Vellaznimi, Kosovo), Christian Mekowulu (Treviso, Italy), Tonye Jekiri (Baskonia, Spain), Abdul-Malik Abu (Fethiye, Turkey), Chima Moneke (Orleans, France), Amanze Egekeze (Gries/Oberhoffen, France), Calab Agada (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel), TK Edogi (St. Chamond, France), Joshua Ajayi (Hermine Nantes, France), Keith Omoerah (Poitiers, France) and Michael Eric, who recently helped CSKA Moscow of Russia to the European Basketball League,” the NBBF said.

NBA champion, Festus Ezeli, UC Iroegbu, Ike Ndugba (2021 NBA draft prospect), Mike Okauru (UNC- Wilmington), Ben Uzoh (Rivers Hoopers), Michael Adewunmi (UT-Rio Grand Valley), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown University), Manny Obaseki (Texas A&M University), Elijah Olaniyi (Stony Brook University) and Chibuzo Agbo (Texas …

Basket Ball / Sports

D’Tigers Jet Out For 3×3 FIBA World Cup

The Senior Men’s National 3×3 Team has departed the country for the 2018 FIBA 3×3 World Cup holding in Philippines between June 8 and 12.
The four-man team, which departed from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos aboard a Qatar Airways flight, was led by the Director of 3×3 Nigeria, Frank Jituboh.
The players are Azuoma Dike, David Godwin and Lucky Subel, all from Kano Pillars Basketball Club, and captain, Yahaya Abdul.
The captain expressed optimism that Nigeria, the current African Champions, can make an impression despite making their world cup debut.
Abdul said: “We have been in camp in Abuja for the last 3 weeks and we are prepared for the task ahead.
“We are in high spirit and ready to bring more honour to Nigeria.”
Abdul said the experience they garnered in Togo during the FIBA Africa 3 Championship where they defeated Congo in the finals to win the title has prepared them for the challenges ahead in Manila, Philippines.
Jituboh thanked the Nigeria Basketball Federation under the leadership of Engineer Musa Kida for total support given to the team.
He said: “Kida was the first person who saw the 3×3 vision and decided to invest in it through his AMK foundation when he was not even the President.
“I am not surprised that as the president of NBBF, he has continued to support the latest basketball format which has continued to grow.”
The team is in group D alongside Ukraine, Croatia, Jordan and Latvia.
They are expected to play two matches against Ukraine and Croatia, while on Sunday, it will be an encounter against Jordan and Latvia to determine their quarter final fate.
…
Basket Ball / Sports

2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers: D’Tigers To Open Camp

The national male basketball team, D’Tigers, will begin camping for their Group B qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA World Cup on June 19 in Lagos.
Afolabi Oni, the Nigeria Basketball Federation Media Officer, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
He quoted the NBBF Secretary-General, Chimezie Asiegbu, as saying the federation was intensifying efforts to ensure that the team maintained its 100 per  cent winning record in the qualification series.
Asiegbu said: “With invited players already contacted and their availability confirmed for the June window being hosted by Nigeria, the official list is expected to be released next week.”
He added that the team was initially meant to camp at Buffalo in the U.S., but after considering all indices, the team would now camp in Lagos.
He said: “We had planned to open the camp in Buffalo but good thinking has advised that we shouldn’t and that we camp in Lagos.
Ogunade explained that the federation would have wanted the team to train together for a longer period, but this would not be possible because of the players’ club engagements.
He said: “We also considered the financial implications on the federation’s finances. So, the players will stay in camp for just 10 days.
“We have a long list of players, but most of our players are in the middle of different competitions with their clubs abroad.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Nigeria are currently leading Group B, and their first match will be when they file out against Uganda on June 29.
Their second game of the window will be against Rwanda on June 30, before they face Mali on July 1.…