Rivers Hoopers Eye Redemption in NPBL, Intensify Training Ahead of 2026 Season
Six-time Nigerian champions Rivers Hoopers have stepped up their preparations for the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) season, which tips off on May 16 after a one-week delay.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) and the League Management Company (LMC) confirmed the new calendar, with twenty teams split into Atlantic and Savannah Conferences.
Each conference will be divided into two groups of five, with the season structured across four phases: Group Stage (home and away), Inter-Group Stage (round robin), Playoffs (top eight teams), and Finals (top four teams).
The Hoopers, nicknamed the KingsMen, have been drawn into Group A of the Atlantic Conference, where they will face Lagos-based Comets BC, Hoops & Read, Raptors BC, and DAM Confluence Giants of Kogi. Their fixtures will be staged in Ibadan, Oyo State, between May 16 and 26.
Despite the short preparation window, assistant coach Wilkinson Suobo described the atmosphere in camp as ‘intense,’ noting that the squad had quickly assembled after initial logistical challenges.
‘Some of the players are coming a little bit late because the league board just released the timetable. It was surprising, but most of them are already on ground and we’ve begun intensive training,’ Suobo explained.
He also revealed that the club has been active in the transfer market, adding new talent to strengthen the roster.
‘We are very ready. All the players are intact, and they’re really ready to play. We’ve gotten some new players to join us, and we know these additions will take us a long way to do very well in the league,’ he said.
The Hoopers’ motivation this season is redemption after last year’s heartbreak, when they lost the NPBL championship game to Maktown Flyers 74-72.
Suobo admitted that the sting of that defeat remains a driving force.
‘We’ll come back very strongly because losing the final four last year came as a shock to us. This year we don’t want to take chances, so we’re preparing very hard in order to come out in flying colors,’ he added.
