Odaudu Wants Hungrier Rivers Hoopers for NPBL Final Four

Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu says his team must show greater hunger and mental strength when the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final Four tips off in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

The three-day championship playoff, scheduled for September 20-22 at the Basketball Stadium in Old Port Harcourt Township, will feature defending champions Maktown Flyers, Gboko City Chiefs and Aso Sky Hawks alongside Rivers Hoopers.

The winners will be crowned 2026 NPBL champions and secure Nigeria’s sole ticket to the 2027 Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Odaudu said his major focus ahead of the decisive stage has been preparing his players mentally, following the disappointment of last season when the Hoopers lost the 2025 title 74-72 to Lagos Legends in the closing seconds.

‘Most of the things we didn’t do well previously were not a matter of basketball ability, it was mental,’ Odaudu said after training.

‘I’ve spent a lot more time talking to the players, getting into their heads rather than just making them run up and down the court. Physical work is important, but the main thing is up there in their heads.’

Rivers Hoopers finished the playoff phase with a 6-1 record, securing the top seed on points difference ahead of Maktown Flyers.

Odaudu believes the team has continued to improve throughout the season and will be a different side in the Final Four.

‘If you saw phase one and phase two, you could tell that by the playoff stage we were an entirely different team,’ he said.

‘And from what I am seeing in practice, this is not going to be the same team that played in the playoffs either. There is a lot more intensity, a lot more hunger, and a lot more determination.’

The Hoopers coach also played down suggestions that the title race would be dominated by two or three teams, insisting that all four finalists have a realistic opportunity to lift the trophy.

‘It is not going to be a two-horse race or a three-horse race. It is a four-horse race because every team in the Final Four is capable of winning it,’ Odaudu said.

‘It just depends on which team is hungrier for it.’

With the championship to be decided over just three match days, Odaudu stressed the importance of avoiding costly mistakes.

‘Every game is critical. We have to take it one game at a time and treat every matchup with total seriousness,’ he said.

‘This is not like the playoff stage where you have seven games to recover. This is the Final Four, we cannot afford to drop a game at any point.