Odaudu Optimistic, Not Confident as Rivers Hoopers Eye Three-Peat in NPBL Final Four Showdown

With just two days to go before the 2025 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) season finale, Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu is embracing the pressure of chasing a third consecutive league crown.

Having guided his team to back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 without defeat, Odaudu now stands on the brink of history.

If successful, Rivers Hoopers would become only the third club to win three straight championships in Nigerian basketball, joining Lagos Islanders (1997–2001) and Kano Pillars (2008–2010), and the first to achieve the feat in fifteen years.

‘The Final Four has been on my mind. I eat, sleep, and dream about it. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since the end of the Final Eight. But I’m a little more relaxed now as we approach the Final Four. We’re still working hard to correct the little things we got wrong, just as you saw at practice today. I think we’re going to be good,’ Odaudu admitted.

The veteran coach has overseen one of the most dominant eras in Nigerian basketball, with Rivers Hoopers losing only twice in six domestic seasons between 2019 and 2025.

Their most recent setback was a narrow 79–80 overtime defeat to Lagos Legends during the Final Eight. While that loss ended hopes of another unbeaten campaign, Odaudu insists the experience of playing under pressure in front of a home crowd will serve his team well in the finale.

‘I don’t think we played to our expectations. We were a little overconfident coming into the Final Eight, and because we were at home, we thought we could roll over everybody.

‘But we got stiff opposition, which I really like because I enjoy playing under pressure. Now the players have had a taste of how the home crowd feels, so I think we’ll be more relaxed in the Final Four and hopefully do better,’ he explained.

The Final Four, scheduled for November 21–23, will feature Rivers Hoopers, Lagos Legends, Gboko City Chiefs, and Nigeria Customs in a round robin format. Beyond the NPBL title, the champions will also secure a ticket to season six of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). For Odaudu, the stakes are higher than ever.

‘We’ve been given stern orders to win this Final Four, so there’s a lot of pressure. But of course I love the pressure, and I hope we’re going to play the way we’ve been practising,’ he said.

Despite his team’s dominance, Odaudu insists he never feels confident before games, only optimistic. ‘Even if it’s a team I know we’ll beat by twenty points, I still have butterflies in my stomach. As the game progresses, that’s when I calm down. So I can’t say I’m confident, but I’ll say we’re ready and optimistic.’

The KingsMen will open their campaign against Gboko City Chiefs on Friday, November 21, face Nigeria Customs on Saturday, November 22, and conclude with a showdown against Lagos Legends on Sunday, November 23.

All games will be staged at the Basketball Stadium, #59 Niger Street, Port Harcourt Township.