D’Tigers Coach new coach Mike Brown has released a 20-man provisional list for the 2021 Afrobasket qualifiers slated for Kigali, Rwanda between 27th and 29th, November.
Brown, who is officially starting his voyage with Nigeria, submitted a list that includeds 7 players who featured at the 2019 FIBA World Cup where Nigeria qualified for the Olympics in Tokyo.
Captain Ike Diogu will lead a team which includes 29-year-old Stan Okoye (Gran Canaria), Ben Uzoh, Ike Iroegbu, Talib Zanna, Ekpe Udoh and Michael Eric.
2015 NBA winner with Golden State Warriors, Festus Ezeli will be on the flight to Rwanda for a chance to represent Nigeria for the first time, alongside a member of the 2015 Afrobasket winning team, Mike Gbinije.
After missing the final 12-man team to the world cup, France-based Ike Nwamu will make another return to the team alongside Tonye Jekiri, Christopher Obekpa, Braxton Ogbueze, Mike Efevberha, Obinna Emegano, all of whom featured in the team’s 2019 qualifiers series.
Chima Moneke, who has averaged 12.3 pts and 5.8 rebs in 4 games for Orléan in the French league has also been called up for the first time, alongside Zaid Christopher Hearst-Okpalannaka who plies his trade in the second tier of the French league.
Other new faces who will hope to earn their first cap include Real Betis powerforward, Obi Enechionyia alongside Ogbunu John and Rasheed Sulaimon who play for Casademont Zaragoza
FULL LIST
1. Stan Okoye Small Forward Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria (Spain)
2. Ikechukwu Nwamu Shooting Guard Cholet (France)
3. Ike Iroegbu Point Guard Capital City Go-Go (NBA G League, USA)
4. Talib Zanna Centre Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C (Israel)
5. Chima Moneke Power Forward Orléans Loiret Basket (France)
6. Obinna Enechionyia Power Forward Real Betis (Spain)
7. Micheal Gbinije Shooting Guard BC Nevėžis (Lithuania)
8. Obi Emegano. Shooting Guard Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (Spain)
9. Mike Efevberha Shooting Guard JA Vichy-Clermont Métropole (France)
10. Michael Eric Centre Turk Telekom Basketball (Turkey)
11. Tonye Jekiri Centre Club Deportivo Saski-Baskonia (Spain)
12. Rasheed Sulaimon Shooting Guard Casademont Zaragoza (Spain)
13. Zaid Hearst-Okpalannaka Shooting Guard Antibas (France)
14. Ekpe Udoh Centre
15. Ben Uzoh Point Guard
16. Christopher Obekpa Centre
17. Ike Diogu Centre
18. Braxton Ogbuezue Guard
19. Festus Ezeli Centre
20. John Ogbunu