| Each of the Sahara Conference’s six teams, which come from six African countries, will have up to 13 players, at least eight of whom are citizens of their respective team’s home country |
| DAKAR, Senegal, March 6, 2022/ — Six Sahara Conference Teams Feature 78 Players from 17 Countries Across Africa, Europe and the U.S.; 2022 BAL Season Opener Featured Senegal’s Dakar Université Club (DUC) Taking on Guinea’s Seydou Legacy Athlétique Club (S.L.A.C) at the Dakar Arena on March 5th at 12:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. GMT on Canal+, ESPNews and TSN; All 38 BAL Games Will Livestream on the NBA App, NBA.com and NBA.com/BAL; Tickets for Sahara Conference Games and Fan Zone Experience in Dakar from March 5-15 On Sale Now at NBA.com/BAL . The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has unveiled the rosters of the six teams that will compete in the league’s Sahara Conference group phase at the Dakar Arena in Senegal, which tipped off yesterday and runs through Tuesday, March 15. The six teams collectively feature 78 players from 17 countries across Africa, Europe and the U.S. In the season opener, Senegal’s Dakar Université Club (DUC) took on Guinea’s Seydou Legacy Athlétique Club (S.L.A.C) at 12:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. GMT on Canal+, ESPNews and TSN in the first of 38 games taking place across three cities over the next three months. Each of the Sahara Conference’s six teams, which come from six African countries, will have up to 13 players, at least eight of whom are citizens of their respective team’s home country and up to four of whom are from other countries, with no more than two players per team from outside of Africa. As part of the “BAL Elevate” program, each team’s 13th roster spot is reserved for one of 12 prospects from NBA Academy Africa, an elite basketball training center in Saly, Senegal for the top high-school age prospects from across Africa. Eight players competing in the Sahara Conference group phase previously played in the NBA G League. Majok was drafted 58th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2011 NBA Draft. Last G League Teams of BAL Players CFV (Mozambique) Randy Ozoemena Onwuasur Nigeria/USA Salt Lake City Stars DUC (Senegal) Chadrack Lufile Democratic Republic of the Congo Sioux Falls Skyforce REG (Rwanda) Anthony Rashad Walker USA Stockton Kings S.L.A.C (Guinea) Marcus Christopher Crawford USA Iowa Energy S.L.A.C (Guinea) Dane Anthony Miller Jr. USA Oklahoma City Blue S.L.A.C (Guinea) Jawachi Josh Nzeakor Nigeria Memphis Hustle S.L.A.C (Guinea) Christopher Ewaoche Obekpa Nigeria Santa Cruz Warriors US Monastir (Tunisia) Ater James Majok Sudan Los Angeles D-Fenders The six teams feature nine former NCAA Division I players: Last College/University of BAL Players AS Salé (Morocco) Abdoulaye Harouna Amadou Niger Miami AS Salé (Morocco) Terrell De Von Stoglin USA Maryland REG (Rwanda) Javon Filer Adonis Rwanda/USA Florida Atlantic REG (Rwanda) Alex Olenga Mpoyo Rwanda Grambling State REG (Rwanda) Cleveland Thomas USA Western Kentucky REG (Rwanda) Anthony Rashad Walker USA Texas at Arlington US Monastir (Tunisia) Michael Andre Dixon USA Memphis US Monastir (Tunisia) Ater James Majok Sudan Connecticut US Monastir (Tunisia) Wassef Methnani Tunisia Fairfield The Sahara Conference also features 11 players who previously participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program for top prospects from across the continent that has seen 10 former campers drafted into the NBA, including Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012) and Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011): BAL Players with Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Experience AS Salé (Morocco) Badreddine Azouga Morocco BWB Africa 2012 AS Salé (Morocco) Abdelmajid El Madini Morocco BWB Africa 2015 CFV (Mozambique) Ermelino Orlando Novela Mozambique BWB Africa 2009 CFV (Mozambique) Helton Sergio Jacinto Ubisse Mozambique BWB Africa 2012 DUC (Senegal) Cheikh Bamba Diallo Senegal BWB Africa 2013 DUC (Senegal) Thierno Niang Senegal BWB Africa 2008 S.L.A.C (Guinea) Christopher Obekpa Nigeria BWB Africa 2009 US Monastir (Tunisia) Firas Lahyani Tunisia BWB Africa 2009 US Monastir (Tunisia) Oussama Marnaoui Tunisia BWB Africa 2016 US Monastir (Tunisia) Wassef Methnani Tunisia BWB Africa 2015 US Monastir (Tunisia) Mohamed Adam Rassil Tunisia BWB Africa 2016 AS Salé head coach Liz Mills (Australia) will make history when she leads the Moroccan champions at the BAL, becoming the first woman to coach a BAL team and first woman to coach a Moroccan men’s team. REG is led by head coach and former NBA player Robert Pack. During his 13-year NBA career, Pack played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Washington Bullets, New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Hornets. The 12 BAL teams, which include defending BAL Champion Zamalek (Egypt), have been divided into two conferences – the Sahara Conference and the Nile Conference. Each conference will play a 15- game group phase during which each team will face the five other teams in its conference once. The Sahara Conference group phase will take place at the Dakar Arena from March 5-15, while the Nile Conference group phase will take place at Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo, Egypt from April 9-19. The top four teams from each conference will qualify for the BAL Playoffs, which will feature a single-elimination tournament and Finals at Kigali Arena in Rwanda from May 21-28. Rosters for Nile Conference teams will be announced at a later date. |
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