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Tag: Playoffs

Rivers Hoopers Add Kelvin Amayo To Their Playoff Roster

Fola Badmus01 mins

The reigning Nigerian basketball league champions, Rivers Hoopers, have secured the services of Kelvin Amayo for the 2025 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Playoffs ongoing in Port Harcourt. Amayo was instrumental in Rivers Hoopers’ third-place finish in last year’s Basketball Africa League (BAL), averaging 16 points, 6.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. His impressive performance earned him spots on the All-BAL Second Team and the BAL All-Defensive Second Team in 2024. He also led the KingsMen to victory in the 2024 Nigeria Premier Basketball League Final Eight securing their place in the BAL. The guard was named most valuable player of the playoffs and made the best five of the tournament. The team has remained unbeaten throughout the 2025 NPBL season so far, and Amayo’s experience and skill will be invaluable as they navigate the playoffs.

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Basketball: Rivers Hoopers Ready for Playoffs

Fola Badmus05 mins

Rivers Hoopers’ Coach Ogoh Odaudu is optimistic about securing a playoff berth after the group phase of the 2025 NBPL season, with a focus on preparing for the Inter-Group Phase and potential roster additions. Days to the commencement of the second phase of the 2025 Nigeria Basketball Premier League (NBPL) season, Rivers Hoopers Head Coach Ogoh Odaudu has set his sights on reaching the playoffs. Phase one (Group Phase) of the 2025 NBPL season (which is structured to run in four phases: Group, Inter-Group, Playoff, and Final Four) drew to a close on 3 September, with Phase two (Inter-Group Phase) set to begin on 24 September. During the group phase of the 2025 NBPL season, Rivers Hoopers were limited to a less than ideal two games as Delta Force and Oluyole Warriors elected against participating in the league, leaving the KingsMen and Kwara Falcons as the only teams in the Atlantic Conference Group B. However, after a three-week break, during which period the KingsMen have engaged in intense training and friendlies, Odaudu believes his team is adequately prepared for Phase Two. “The first phase has come and gone. Unfortunately we didn’t get to play the number of matches that we wanted to play. But during the break we’ve been really busy. We’ve played a couple of friendly matches, and we’re still going to play another [friendly] on Wednesday. So, I think with all put in place, we should be ready for the second phase.” The second phase will see Rivers Hoopers play against more opponents, such as Comets, Lagos Legends, as well as Hoops & Reeds, who all took part in Group A of the Atlantic Conference, link up with the KingsMen and Kwara Falcons (Group B) at the Indoor Basketball Court, 59 Niger Street, Port Harcourt Township, for the Inter-Group games. More teams means more games, and ultimately more players to execute, with Odaudu suggesting the KingsMen will look to make a few additions for a more balanced roster before Phase Two begins. He said, “We had only eleven people who played the first two games. We’re expecting four more people to join us by the second phase, and of course, they should be on ground before jumpball.” After winning back-to-back league titles and also finishing third at the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL), the KingsMen have been touted as strong favourites for the 2025 NBPL title. But Odaudu remains modest in his expectations, as he revealed his team’s immediate target remains a place in the playoffs (last eight). “This is all qualification for us. We just want to make it to the Final Eight for now and then see how we continue from there. The expectation for phase two is to make sure we’re one of the top four teams who will make it to the next round, that is, the final eight, some time next month,” he pointed out. The Inter-Group Phase is scheduled for 24 September – 5 October and will once again see Port Harcourt play host, as all teams in the Atlantic Conference converge at the Indoor Basketball Court, 59 Niger Street, Port Harcourt Township. Meanwhile, teams from the Savannah Conference are expected to meet at the National Indoor Sports Hall, Rayfield, Jos, Plateau State, with venues for the Playoffs and Final Four yet to be named.

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APR Dumps Rivers Hoopers Out of Basketball Africa League Season Five Playoffs

Fola Badmus14 mins

Six-time Nigerian Basketball League champions, Rivers Hoopers, have been knocked out of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), after they suffered their biggest defeat in the history of the competition – a 31-point loss – to Rwanda’s APR in a quarter-final encounter at the ongoing BAL Season five, which ended 104-73. After both teams struggled to score any points during the opening minute of the game, APR found their rhythm with effective shooting and good perimeter defense to close out the first quarter 24-11, as the KingsMen struggled to get into their groove. During the first quarter, APR scored 14 while Rivers Hoopers had four, highlighting the early dominance of the Rwandese at both ends. While the KingsMen struggled to get going in the game, APR’s trio of Aliou Diarra (13), Chasson Randle (13), and Nuni Omot (12) ran the show, with each player hitting double figures for points by the halfway mark to give the Rwandan champions a lofty 25-point lead at 57-32. Hoopers Head Coach, Ogoh Oduaudu, tried to change things from the bench with the reintroduction of Kelvin Amayo, Rahpiael Putney, Peter Olisemeka, and Ahmed Doumbia after the halftime break. The move seemed to have an immediate impact as the KingsMen cut the deficit by 7 points inside the first four minutes of the 2nd half. But APR responded with a dominant 3-minute spell to re-establish a 31-point lead heading into the final quarter. Things moved from bad to worse for the KingsMen after Rahpiael Putney who notched 12 points as the team’s second best shooter on the day, was ejected from the game with a 5th personal foul within two minutes of the 4th quarter. However, the Nigerian champions rallied to put up their best showing of the game, with Madut Akec scoring 7 of his game-high 21 points to end the quarter at 21-21, but the damage had already been done as APR ran out 104-73 winners. Maxi Shamba (10) was the only other player to reach double figures for the KingsMen. APR, meanwhile, had four players score at least 10 points, as they dominated in the paint, outscoring Rivers Hoopers 52-32, while notching up 32 points from the bench. Hoopers managed only 18 bench points, with Chingka Garba particularly impressive grabbing 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals off the bench. The result means APR will face Libya’s Al Ahly in the semi-final on Wednesday, 11th June, while Rivers Hoopers must now return home to prepare for the domestic season.

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Basketball: Rivers Hoopers To Face US Monastir In BAL Season 5 Seeding Game

Fola Badmus03 mins

2024 Basketball Africa League [BAL] bronze-medallists Rivers Hoopers will face Union Sportive Monastirienne at the placement tie on Saturday, June 7, ahead of the quarter-finals in Pretoria, South Africa. According to the Playoffs Team Ranking, the six-time Nigerian League Champions who sealed consecutive Playoffs appearances by finishing second in the Kalahari Conference with a 4-2 mark, were ranked fourth overall on the rankings. While nine-time Tunisian champions, US Monastir who topped the Sahara Conference standings, were ranked third overall. Both teams finished with identical records for four wins and two losses from their respective conferences. This will be the fifth meeting between Rivers Hoopers and US Monastir in BAL history, with the previous four meetings evenly split at two wins apiece. En route to finishing third at BAL Season 4, Rivers Hoopers and US Monastir met three times; twice in the Sahara Conference where both teams won one game each, before the KingsMen knocked out the 2022 champions in an electrifying quarter-final showdown. Monastir had earlier beaten Rivers Hoopers in their first ever meeting during the Group phase of the inaugural BAL season. The fifth installment of what has grown to be one of the oldest and fiercest BAL rivalries is billed to take place on Saturday, 7th June, 2025. Meanwhile, top two teams from each of the three conferences (Sahara, Nile, and Kalahari) qualified for the playoffs, along with the top two third-place teams across the three conferences. In the Basketball Africa League (BAL), seeding games are played before the playoffs to determine the playoff bracket matchups and seeding for the single-elimination playoffs. The placement ties will feature the following matchups:1st – 2nd seed: Al Ahli vs Al Ittihad3rd – 4th seed: US Monastir vs Rivers Hoopers5th – 6th seed: Petro de Luanda vs APR7th – 8th seed: Kriol Star vs FUS Rabat The outcome of these matches will determine the final seeding for the quarter-finals. The BAL Season 5 Playoffs will run from 6th-14th June, 2025, starting with the seeding games on Friday, 6th June. All games will be played at the SunBet Arena, Pretoria, South Africa.

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Rivers Hoopers Intensify Preparations In Abuja Ahead of Pretoria Playoffs

Fola Badmus05 mins

2024 bronze-medallist Rivers Hoopers have arrived in Abuja to continue preparations for the Basketball Africa League playoffs which dunks off in Pretoria, South Africa from Friday, June 6. The KingsMen will look to better their 2024 BAL appearance as they prepare in the country’s capital before travelling to South Africa. The six-time Nigerian champions were drawn in the Kalahari Conference where they played against FUS Rabat of Morocco, Egypt’s Al Ittihad, and Stade Malien of Mali at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco. Rivers Hoopers were runners-up at the Kalahari Conference, winning four of its six games, losing twice to eventual conference winners, AL Ittihad Alexandria. Despite clinching the BAL playoff ticket in April with a game to spare, coach of the side Ogoh Odaudu acknowledged the team needs to put in the work to reach their tournament target at the playoffs in June “We need to up the ante to compete in South Africa. I see the amount of work we have to put in for us to be better in South Africa. We have the time to do all that and hopefully, we will come out better,” Odaudu said. “We came in third last year. We are hoping that we are going to go a step further. Everybody wants that for us; they have pushed us, and we want to go a step further than what we did last year.” So far at the BAL 2025, the foreign professionals have been instrumental in the team’s success, improving the quality of the team and value of tournament numbers. Canadian-born Nigerian combo guard Kelvin Amayo as well as Peter Olisemeka, who were instrumental in the team’s historic third-place finish at the last edition have been immense in the 2025 edition. Amayo led the assists and steals’ chart with six and two per game respectively, while Olisemeka sits at the summit of rebounds made, 11 per game at the Kalahari Conference in Rabat. Dr Congo’s point guard Maxi Shamba, South Sudan forward Madut Akec and American Raphiael Putney have also been instrumental in the Rivers Hoopers success so far in 2025. Rivers Hoopers will be making their second successive playoff appearance at the BAL. They featured in last season’s edition, where they finished third. After making it to successive BAL playoffs, Rivers Hoopers coach Ogoh Odaudu has said the team’s ambition is to be “greedy” and go one better than last year. “It feels really good to qualify for the finals again. It is the highest basketball league in Africa and everybody in Africa wants to be there,” Odaudu said. “Right from the get go, our target was to make the playoffs. Now we have made the playoffs we are going to get greedy. We came third last year, we are hoping that we are going to go a step further.”

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Chingka Garba Joins Rivers Hoopers Ahead of BAL Season 5 Playoffs

Fola Badmus11 mins

Rivers Hoopers have completed the signing of Chingka Garba for the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs in Pretoria, South Africa. Garba joins the KingsMen from Orion Basketball Club in Rwanda, where he proved his mettle as one of the most efficient players in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). He also starred for Gboko City Chiefs during the 2024 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) where he averaged near double-doubles, leading to his inclusion in the league’s All-star 5. At 6’8”Garba brings size, mobility, on-court intelligence, and an aggressive style of play that’s expected to give the KingsMen a new dynamic in both offense, , ahead of the BAL season 5 playoffs billed to hold between 6th-14th June, in Pretoria, South Africa.

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BAL: Rivers Hoopers Cruise Past Stade Malien to Wrap Kalahari Conference in Style

Fola Badmus03 mins

Rivers Hoopers concluded their Kalahari Conference campaign in an emphatic fashion with a 79-59 blowout win over Stade Malien, stamping their dominance as they head into the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Playoffs in Pretoria, South Africa. Having already secured qualification to the playoffs of the 2025 BAL, the KingsMen stepped onto the court with nothing to prove but a lot to affirm, and it was done neatly. From the tip-off, the Hoopers set the tone, controlling the tempo and keeping Stade Malien in check with a stifling defense that held the Malian side to just 28.6% shooting from the field. The Nigerian side, on the other hand, shot a solid 45.3% and displayed their growing team chemistry. Raphael Putney was the spark plug for the Hoopers, dropping 15 points in under 19 minutes with clinical efficiency knocking down five of his eight attempts at a 62% clip. Putney was ably supported by Madut Akec, whose hustle on both ends saw him finish with 14 points on 46% shooting. Off the bench, Micheal Afuwape provided instant offense, scoring 13 points in just 14 minutes and converting 80% of his shots, including a perfect 3-for-3 from the line. Abel Chidiebere Offia added 9 points and Ifeanyi Anthony dropped 9 points and 3 rebounds in 20 minutes. Rivers Hoopers also outplayed Stade Malien beyond the arc, making nine of their 30 three-point attempts (30%), while Stade Malien managed just 9-of-37 (24.3%). The Hoopers’ ball movement, defensive rotations, and bench depth were simply too much for their opponents. With this win, Rivers Hoopers closed out the Kalahari Conference with a 4-2 record and firmly focused on their next stop Pretoria, South Africa, where the best of the continent will battle for glory in the BAL Playoffs.

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Rivers Hoopers Through to Basketball Africa League Playoffs

Fola Badmus03 mins

Rivers Hoopers have secured their place in the Basketball Africa League Playoffs by defeating FUS Rabat, and will next face Al-Ittihad of Egypt in a crucial match on Saturday. For a second consecutive season, Nigeria’s representatives at season five of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) have qualified for the Playoffs holding in Pretoria, South Africa from 6-14 June. Rivers Hoopers defeated FUS Rabat 79-71 on Thursday night to move to a 3-1 mark on the Kalahari Conference table. With two games left to play, the KingsMen are second on the table behind Al-Ittihad of Egypt (4-0). While FUS Rabat sit third with a 1-3 record and Stade Malien on 0-4 mark. The KingsMen will battle the Egyptian champions for the first place while FUS and Stade Malien will slug it out for the third spot. Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu is excited to have qualified for the 2025 BAL Playoffs with two more games to go. ”It feels really good to qualify for the finals again. It is the highest basketball stage in Africa, and everybody in Africa wants to be there. I am really, really happy that we are there now. We hope to take some time off to celebrate. ”Right from the get-go our target was to make the playoffs. Now that we have made the playoffs, we are going to get greedy,” he stated. Odaudu said the current target of the team is to go past their previous record of a third-place finish. ”We came in third last year. We are hoping that we are going to go a step further. Everybody wants that for us; they have pushed us, and we want to go a step further than what we did last year. ”Right now we are enjoying the victory of last night and will get back to work this evening.” Rivers Hoopers will next play Egyptian champions Al-Ittihad on Saturday at 4pm WAT.

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