FIBA -21: Homeboy, Abubakar Usman lead Junior Tige

The competition which run from today to August 14 hold some promises for the country as the coaching crew led by two retired officers of the Nigerian Air Force Sanni Ahmed and Adeka Daudu with support from former international Massai Ujuri as the team have spent close to two months in camp undergoing the rigour of what to expect from other teams in the championship. In the Nigerian squad one player stood out among the pack and that is Niger Potters basketball club of Minna off-guard, Abubakar Usman who happen to be the only Nigerian player to get mention in FIBA June/July edition of ASSISTNEWS magazine.

Aside making the FIBA newsletter Usman is a very strong player who can play both as a point guard and off-guard with good ball handling ability, and scoring prowess which he brought to bear when Nigeria wade off Cameroon stiff opposition in the finals of the African championship last august in Dakar, Senegal.

Other players expected to be on parade for Nigeria at the intermediate world cup are Buhari Mohammed of Ebun Comets, Sola Alayande and Ejike Ugboaja of Union Bank, Slomon Alao and Cyril Awere of Kano Pillars and from the foreign scene come Lawrence Nwevo, Emmanuel Negedu, Tunji Soroye and Uchenna Echefu all from different colleges and high schools in the USA. The dropped players includes Dennis Ebikoro of Ebun Comets basketball club of Lagos, Ayo Ayodele from the USA and London based former Edo Beads forward, Kingsley Aguara.