Nigeria Basketball Federation benchmark for 2011

1. The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Executive Board meet in Abuja on Wednesday January 5, 2011 to delibrate on its 2011 programme of activities and review its performance in 2010.

2. Far reaching decisions were taken during the meeting which was followed by the inaugural meeting of the new DStv Premier Basketball League Board on Thursday January 6, 2011.

3. In addition to approving its activities for 2011, the following decisions were taken by the NBBF Executive Board.

(i) A National U16 (Men and Women) tournament to start with zonal preliminaries was instituted with effect from 2011.

(ii) A National Open Women Championship to start at two conference levels and to end with a national final was approved.

(iii) There will also be the National Division-One Championship for promotion of teams to the DStv Premier Basketball League while a Division-Two is being considered.

(iv) A Coaches/Players Education programme at the age group level with the aim of institutionalising a National Basketball Philosophy was approved.

(v) The International programmes involving the Senior Men and Women National Teams at the continental level and the FIBA World U19 Championship for Women were endorsed.

(vi) The Head Coaches of the Senior Men and Women National Teams from the 2009 Afrobasket (Coaches John Lucas and Ayo Bakare) were retained to ensure continuity and provide an opportunity to complete the foundation laid.

(vii) The NBBF Board also endorsed the January 29, 2011 commencement date of the 2010/2011 DStv Premier Basketball League Season as presented to it for consideration

Ebi Ndudi is the top player this season for Aget Imola

The Nigerian player averages 17.7 points and is a real leader for his Italian team.
His tenth ranked Aget Imola and 8th ranked Fileni BPA had identical 5-6 records in the last game. But Fileni BPA was not able to use a home court advantage and was defeated by the opponent from Imola 91-100 on Sunday night. The guests trailed by 1 point after three quarters before their 31-21 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Aget Imola made 23-of-25 free shots (92.0 percent) during the game. It was a great shooting night for Aget Imola especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 52.4 percentage. The best player for the winners was Nigerian forward Ndudi Ebi who had a double-double by scoring 27 points and 13 rebounds (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). American guard Trent Whiting chipped in 31 points and 5 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international center Michele Maggioli who recorded 24 points and 6 rebounds (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line) and American guard Barry Elder added 19 points and 5 rebounds respectively. Five Fileni BPA players scored in double figures. Aget Imola (6-6) moved-up to eighth place. Fileni BPA lost fourth consecutive game. They dropped to the ninth position with seven games lost.
Earlier in the season Ndudi Ebi erupted with 25 points while Aget IM lost to Prima Veroli 82-86. Moreover he twice scored 23 points for the team this season.

FIBA Africa Champions Club Zone-3: Royal Hoopers battles Kano Pillars

Royal Hoopers basketball club will on Saturday take to the floor against fellow Nigerian side Kano Pillars basketball club in a repeat pairing of the grand finale of the Nigeria DStv Premier League two months ago in Port Harcourt in the Day-4 match-up of the FIBA Africa Champions Club Zone-3 Qualifiers at the gymnasium of Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, Monrovia, Liberia.

Hoopers who is making its debut in Africa club competition after finishing second behind in the Pillars in the Nigeria domestic league has continue to give a good account of themselves winning all three games played so far.

The Hoopers coached by the trio of Coaches Ogoh Odaudu, Johnson Orupabo and Johnson Lami went past host and Liberia league winner UHURU Kings basketball club by 66-55 points on the opening fixtures of the West Africa qualifiers on Monday.

The Port Harcourt-based side continued the command performance on Wednesday with a 73-61 points drubbing of another Liberian side NPA Pythons basketball club before humbling Abidjan Basket Club (ABC) of Cote dIvoire by 60-44 points Thursday making Saturday pairing against Kano Pillars a must watch for basketball fans in Monrovia since both sides are the only two that are yet to drop a game.

Other pairing of Day-4, NPA Pythons of Liberia will try to redeem its image when they file out against ABC of Cote dIvoire at 17H00 local time, Swallows of Togo will confront UHURU Kings of Liberia at 19H00, the Royal Hoopers versus Kano Pillars pairing hold at 15H00.

Air Avellino re-sign Chevon Troutman, Pepsi Caserta keeps Ebi Ere

Air Avellino signed one-year contract extension with Chevon Troutman (202-F-81, agency: ACMT, college: Pittsburgh). The 28-year old American joined Avelino last summer from ASVEL. He played 29 games in SerieA averaging 12.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 steals. He ended the championship as fourth leading rebounder and fourth stealer. He was awarded with Eurobasket.com All-Italian SerieA Honorable Mention. In 2009, Troutman won the title in France with ASVEL. He helped them with 10.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 1.4 spg. In the past, he also was a member of Livorno.
Meanwhile, Pepsi Caserta agreed on a one-year contract extension with Ebi Ere (195-G/F-81, college: Oklahoma). The Nigerian scoring machine arrived to Casera last summer from Australian Melbourne Tigers. He shined in his first season with the club with 15.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.6 apg and 2.3 spg. Ere was named Eurobasket.com All-Italian SerieA Honorable Mention. Before the above mentioned teams, Ere also played for Brisbane Bullets, Liege and Ludwisburg. In 2009, he appeared 7 times at AfroBasket in Libya averaging 11.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He is an active member of the Nigerian NT since 2006.

Nigeria gets NIKE U19 Global Invitational Tourney

Nigeria U19 national team for Men has been invited for the 2010 NIKE Global Invitational tournament holding from august 5 through 9, 2010 in Portland Oregon, United States of America.

According to the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Tijjani Umar Nigeria invitation is sequel to the partnership between the NBBF and the sports wear manufacturing giant, NIKE.

The NBBF president says Nigeria will parade bulk of the nations U16 team who won bronze at the 2009 FIBA Africa U16 Championship in Maputo, Mozambique.

Nigeria will take part in the 5-day invitational tourney alongside, USA, France, Brazil, Canada and 30 former high school players.

The Nigeria federation president says the decision to make the U16 players form bulk of the team is to allow for continuity as Nigeria will be taking part in the 17th edition of the FIBA Africa Championship for U18 Men later in the year in Kigali, Rwanda.

He said though other players who are within the age bracket will also be given a look-in by the coaching crew because the aim of accepting to take part in the NIKE Global Invitational was to expose these players to bigger competition before the Africa U18 Championship in august this year.

Each country will be represented by ten players due to the number of days of the tournament

NBBF to relocate outside Abuja Stadium, procure laptops, printers for statisticians

The Nigeria Basketball Federation board meets at the weekend to review the on-going 2009/2010 DStv Premier League and the Zenith Bank Women League.

The board according to the president, Tijjani Umar came up with far reaching decision aimed at moving the game forward in the country.

According to the NBBF president, four laptop computers and four printers have been approved to aid statistic gathering of the league.

The four laptops and printers will be put to use in the various centres across the country.

The federation has also placed order for the purchase of a moveable shot-clock and scoreboard that would serve venues without such equipment in order to make players in the league adapt to these facilities.

The NBBF, according to Umar has concluded plans to rent a befitting office accommodation in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja so that its secretariat can be more proactive in the discharge of their duties while wooing the National Sports Commission for a piece of land in the sports complex package-B for the building of its permanent Secretariat.

The board has also mandated all its standing committees to have its meeting once every quarter, these according to the Nigeria federation boss would help the NBBF to dispense with issues bothering on the growth of the game quickly.

Umar is confident that with the various committees having their meetings regularly bulk of the work of repositioning Nigeria basketball would have reduced

NBBF to relocate outside Abuja Stadium, procure laptops, printers for statisticians

The Nigeria Basketball Federation board meets at the weekend to review the on-going 2009/2010 DStv Premier League and the Zenith Bank Women League.

The board according to the president, Tijjani Umar came up with far reaching decision aimed at moving the game forward in the country.

According to the NBBF president, four laptop computers and four printers have been approved to aid statistic gathering of the league.

The four laptops and printers will be put to use in the various centres across the country.

The federation has also placed order for the purchase of a moveable shot-clock and scoreboard that would serve venues without such equipment in order to make players in the league adapt to these facilities.

The NBBF, according to Umar has concluded plans to rent a befitting office accommodation in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja so that its secretariat can be more proactive in the discharge of their duties while wooing the National Sports Commission for a piece of land in the sports complex package-B for the building of its permanent Secretariat.

The board has also mandated all its standing committees to have its meeting once every quarter, these according to the Nigeria federation boss would help the NBBF to dispense with issues bothering on the growth of the game quickly.

Umar is confident that with the various committees having their meetings regularly bulk of the work of repositioning Nigeria basketball would have reduced