1 on 1 with Bayo Arigbon

In nine games playing with Deportivo Espanol de Talca, the american Bayo Arigbon (196-F-86, college: San Diego Chr.) has become one of the most efficient foreign players in the league, with averages of 20.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.4 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. The former San Diego Chr. player, started his overseas career in Iceland at the beggining of the year, and now in Chile is showing all oh his potential. In this interview he talk to us about his desire to play ball, his toughts about playing overseas and also about the chances for Espanol during the second half of the season.

Lat: What was your first tought when your agent contact you and told about the offer to play in Chile ?
BA: When my agent first contacted me, I was excited to get an opportunity to play again and also i was excited to come to a beautiful country like chile.

Lat: So far, what's your point of view for the chilean league. About the level of the competition and the other foreign players?

BA: Dimayor is a talented and physical league, not only that, but it is filled with talented local and foreign players.

Lat: After a month in Talca, what are your toughts about the team, the head coach and the chances for the upcoming playoffs ? what are the real chances for your team ?

BA: After a month in Talca I really enjoy my team, the fans and everything that Espanol has to offer. I am happy to play for our coach (Carlos Iglesias ) because he does a real good job at teaching the small things that wins games and not only that, but he is very passionate about coaching. Abouth the team,I AM 100% SURE WEWILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS!. Our team has all the right pieces to make a serious run and with each game we play our chemistry is improving. If you look at the games we have lost you will see that all games were under 10 points and the 2 games we lost for more than 10 points was due to fouling at the end of the game, so i believe we have a chance to go deep in the playoffs and I am excited to prove it.

Lat: What you expect from your playing time in Chile ?


BA: I expect to gain more experience as a professional player, not only that but I expect to gain more mental strength, because its better to be mentally stronger when it comes to basketball than to be physically strong. Not only that but I hope to show anyone who doubts my ability to play that I can play on any level if I am given the opportunity.

Lat: Are you looking to play in a better league like the argentinian or the uruguayan after this stint with Espanol ?


BA: I am, I am always looking to show that I can play on any level efficiently if given the oppertuniy. When my stint is over with Espanol I hope that I get another oppertunity to play , but as for now my focus is the 2nd half of the season and making a playoff push .

Lat: Finally, what you expect from your career playing overseas ? What are your goals ?


BA: I expect my career overseas to allow to travel the world while playing the game I love. My goals are to play efficently where ever I travel and show that just because I came from a NAIA D1 college, doesnt meant that I cant play.

Sanni Ojibara Signs with Club Deportes Las Animas of Chile

Sanni Ojibara, a 6-3 guard out of Irvington, New Jersey, will make the long journey to Chile for the 2011-12 season. He has signed a one year deal with Club Deportes Las Animas to play in the Liga Nacional. Ojibara, 28, spent the 2010-11 season in Syria with Al Naweer. Before leaving in January due to financial issues, he had been on a tear, averaging 22..5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.0 steals, and over a block per contest. Sanni, who possesses dual Nigerian-American citizenship, finished his collegiate career at New Jersey City and since then has played in US semi-pro leagues as well as Argentina in addition to his time in Syria. When asked about why he chose to sign with Club Deportes Las Animas in Chile he responded I decided to sign here because it's a new league and I had been hearing nothing but good thing about it. Also, I played in South America before and I know that the competition is very good.
Ojibara, is capable of playing either guard position and is extremely athletic, allowing him to dictate physically on the offensive end while maintaining his own against quick, small guards or bigger shooting guards all the same.
My expectations are to lead the team into the playoffs and hopefully to a championship, but most of all get as many wins as possible.

DStv PBL: Comets, Pillars lead conference

As the Nigeria Premier Basketball League get through the half way mark of the 2010/ 2011 season Comets basketball club and reigning champion, Kano Pillars basketball league are currently leading the Atlantic and Savannah conferences of the league sponsored by Africa leading pay-television channels MultiChoice.

Comets basketball club is leading other teams in the Atlantic conference with a 6-2 records for 14 points after seeing of Chariots basketball club by 56-48 points at the weekend in Lagos.

Royal Hoopers basketball club of Port Harcourt maintained it hold of the second spot with a 6-1 record after defeating Dodan Warriors basketball club by 83-51 points at the weekend in Port Harcourt. Union Bank basketball club, the only team to have kept a clean slate in the conference having won all her six games played so far occupies the third position while Dodan Warriors basketball club who had a 1-1 road game record after defeating Delta Force basketball club of Asaba by 74-71 points before going down to the Hoopers in Port Harcourt on Sunday by 51-83 points is fourth on the ladder.

Islanders basketball club moved a step up on the Atlantic conference standing with a 51-43 points win over Police Baton basketball club to occupy the fifth position while the Baton are sixth, Delta Force is seventh with a 1-6 records just as Chariots basketball club who yet to record a single in the league occupying the rear of the eight-team conference.

Defending, Kano Pillars holdsway in the Savannah conference with a 6-0 record of 12 points, though second, third and fourth placed Yelwa Hawks basketball club of Bauchi, Bauchi Nets basketball club and Kada Stars basketball club are also on 12 points each, the Pillars have an edge with a superiors points average of 1.47 and with a game in hand.

Pillars defeated city rival Nigeria Immigration Service basketball club of Kano at the weekend by 87-52 points, Yelwa also humbled its city rival Nets by 68-65 points while Kada Stars defeated visiting Plateau Peaks basketball club of Jos by 77-69 points to keep its final-8 qualification alive.

Though Immigration lost to a more experience Pillars in the week-7 pairing, it manage to maintain its hold on the fifth position with Niger Potters basketball of Minna who had an great weekend with a 71-54 points victory over Tapgun Rockets basketball Club of Jos in Minna occupying the sixth position, Peaks is seventh while Tapgun Rockets is eighth on the table.

Week-7 Results

ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
DELTA FORCE 71-74 DODAN WARRIORS
ROYAL HOOPERS 83-51 DODAN WARRIORS
CHRAIOTS 48-56 COMETS
ISLANDERS 51-43 POLICE BATON

SAVANNAH CONFERENCE
IMMIRATION 52-87 KANO PILLARS
BAUCHI NETS 65-68YELWA HAWKS
KADA STARS 77-69 PLATEAU PEAKS
NIGER POTTERS 71-54TAPGUN ROCKETS

Limoges CSP brings in Ndudi Ebi

Ndudi Ebi (206-F-84, agency: Priority Sports, college: Arizona) joined Limoges CSP. The Nigerian center parted ways with Aget Imola recently and now hopes to earn a deal with the French outfit. Ebi appeared 21 times in LegaDue this season averaging 19.2 points and 9.2 rebounds.
Ndudi Ebi is coming to France for the first time in his career. Last season he spent with Italian LegaDue team Rimini and was their best player. He had 15.3 ppg and 13.6 (1) rpg for 30 games. Eurobasket awarded Ebi with All-Italian Lega2 1st Team -10. On season 2008/09, Ebi had 12.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg for 30 games in SerieA with Carife Ferrara. In 2007/08, he was a member of Bnei Hasharon collecting 14.4 ppg and 8.5 rpg in Israeli Premier league. Ebi has experience from NBDL and he also appeared twice in the NBA on season 2004/05.

DStv PBL: Police takes survival battle to Niger Delta

Police Baton basketball club of Lagos takes its survival battle to the Niger Delta region of Nigeria where it will keep a date with Delta Force basketball club of Asaba on Saturday and Royal Hoopers basketball club of Port Harcourt on Sunday.

The double road game for the Coach Mark Balogun tutored Baton means so much to the Lagos-based side as it intensify its fight against relegation alongside two other clubs Delta Force and Chariots basketball club of Lagos.

The Police occupies the bottom of the eighth team Atlantic conference with just a win from four league games.

In other Week-6 pairing of the Atlantic conference Union Bank basketball club will have its hands full when it take on Dodan Warriors basketball club on Saturday and be the guest of conference leader Comets basketball club.

And in the Savannah conference Niger Potters basketball club of Minna will be at home to defending champion, Kano Pillars basketball club on Saturday while Plateau Peaks basketball club of Jos and Yelwa Hawks basketball club of Bauchi tango.

On Sunday rejuvenated Nigeria Immigration basketball club of Kano who picked its first win in the league last weekend with a 73-61 points defeat of Plateau Peaks will host Tapgun Rockets basketball club of Jos in Kano while Bauchi Nets basketball club test the might of Kada Stars basketball club of Kaduna.

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.