Commonwealth Games: Nigeria picks final basketball team

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has released its official team roster for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The team list compiled by the Technical Crew led by Coach Alex Nwora following months of camping in Lagos for the competition was made public on Tuesday by NBBF secretary, Chimezie Asiegbu.

The team made up of six home-based players and six-foreign based pros will be captained by Ike Diogu who plies his trade with Henan in the Chinese league.

Diogu who captained the team to a 2017 Afrobasket silver medal finish was also influential in the team’s run of three straight wins in the 2nd window of the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifiers with an average of 17.7 points made per game.

From the home front, Azuoma Dike of Kano Pillars will be leading the Nigerian legion comprising fellow Kano Pillars teammates Abdul Yahaya and Dung Eli Abraham.

Also, after a sterling performance for Stony Brooks in the 2016-2017 NCAA season, Uchenna Ireogbu will be making his national team debut for Nigeria in Australia.

Nigeria is in Group B alongside host- Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Coach Nwora will be assisted by Aderemi Adewunmi and Mohammed Abdulrahman.

Team List

Ike Diogu (Henan, CHINA)

Uchenna Ireogbu (Stony Brooks, NCAA, USA)

Dung Eli Abraham- (Kano Pillars (NIGERIA)

Azuoma Dike – (Kano Pillars, NIGERIA)

Olantunji Olalekan Graham- (Unattached, USA)

Ofoegbu Uchechi Chima – (Unattached, USA)

Musa Usman (Mark Mentors, NIGERIA)

Abdulwahab Yakubu (Gombe Bulls, Nigeria)

Istifanus Sylvanus (Gombe Bulls, Nigeria)

Abdul Yahaya (Kano Pillars)

Achiuwa God’sgift Onyekachi (Unattached, USA)

Orizu Prince Ifeanyi (Far Eastern University, PHILIPPINES)