Rivers Hoopers Head Coach Ogoh Odaudu says his team is well prepared for their Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final Eight opener against Gombe Bulls on Thursday.
Speaking before his team’s final training session on Wednesday evening, the Rivers Hoopers gaffer revealed that the KingsMen are excited to begin their title defense at the Final Eight in front of their home fans.
Odaudu said, “We’ve been working very hard, and we’re ready. Right from when we were announced as hosts, the mindset changed completely. The boys are very excited. Of course they want to play in front of their fans, and they know that this is their home; they play better when they’re at home. I tell you the spirit in the team is better than it was last year.”
Odaudu, however, stated that the defending champions will approach each game with the same level of seriousness, saying, “Basketball is not played on paper; basketball is played on the court. We’re going to approach each game with the level of seriousness that it deserves. There’s no small team or big team. We’ll simply go out there and do what we’re supposed to do; at the end of the day, we hope to do the things well.”
He insisted that the KingsMen will put up a performance that Rivers people and all fans of Rivers Hoopers would be proud of.
“They should come out en masse to cheer us as they’ve always done, and we, on our part, will try our best to make them proud. At the end of the tournament, everyone will be proud to have supported Rivers Hoopers,” he said.
The D’Tigers assistant coach also thanked the Rivers State government, which he said has continued to support the team in unbelievable ways.
The NPBL Final Eight begins at 12pm on Thursday, 14 November, when last year’s runners-up, Gboko City Chiefs, take on Police Batons, before Kwara Falcons square up against Nile University at 2pm. Hoops & Read vs. Kano Pillars comes up at 4pm, while the defending champions Rivers Hoopers take on Gombe Bulls at 6pm.
