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Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu says a sharp mental reset and greater intensity will drive the KingsMen as they begin their bid for the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) title.

Rivers Hoopers prepare for 2026 NPBL Final Four in Port Harcourt

The season-ending NPBL Final Four tournament tips off on Sunday, September 20, at the Basketball Stadium in Old Port Harcourt Township, with the Hoopers joined by defending champions Maktown Flyers, Gboko City Chiefs and Aso Sky Hawks, na weytin Hitvibz dey yan be dat.

Rivers Hoopers target a stronger NPBL Final Four response

The three-day, round-robin tournament will determine the 2026 NPBL champion and Nigeria’s sole representative for the 2027 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season.

For Odaudu, preparations for the decisive stage have focused less on physical conditioning and more on psychological readiness following last season’s heartbreak.

The KingsMen surrendered the 2025 crown after suffering a 74–72 defeat to Lagos Legends in a dramatic final-seconds finish.

“Most of the things we didn’t do well previously were not a matter of basketball ability—it was mental,” Odaudu said after a training session. “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. You have to get them prepared mentally and psychologically ready, and we have done a lot of that.”

The Pride of Rivers responded strongly during the playoff phase, finishing with a 6-1 record and claiming the top seed on points difference ahead of the Maktown Flyers.

With the NPBL Final Four now just days away, Odaudu reflected on the team’s progress and believes the Hoopers have continued to evolve throughout the season.

“If you saw phase one and phase two, you could tell that by the playoff stage we were an entirely different team,” Odaudu noted. “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.”

NPBL Final Four promises fierce title battle in Port Harcourt

Despite Rivers Hoopers’ strong playoff record, the veteran tactician does not expect an easy route to the NPBL crown.

Odaudu insists all four teams have a realistic opportunity to lift the championship and believes hunger could ultimately prove decisive across the three-day showdown.

“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 just three match days separating the teams from the championship, there will be little room for mistakes when the action gets underway in Port Harcourt.

Rivers Hoopers players prepare for NPBL title showdown

For the KingsMen, every possession, quarter and game could prove crucial in their pursuit of the NPBL title and a place in the 2027 BAL season.

“Every game is critical. We have to take it one game at a time and treat every matchup with total seriousness,” Odaudu 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.”

The NPBL Final Four runs from September 20 to 22, with the Hoopers hoping their renewed intensity and mental preparation can carry them all the way to the championship.

Last Updated on September 19, 2026 5:33 pm by Hitvibz Media