By Ayo Bada
Rivers Hoopers coach, Ogoh Odaudu has expressed his utmost confidence that the team will excel in the forthcoming 2015/2016 DSTV Basketball League season.
The newly-promoted Port Harcourt-based side have been drawn in the Atlantic conference alongside the likes of Oluyole Warriors, Kwara Falcons, Delta Force and four Lagos teams, Lagos Islanders, Dodan Warriors, Union Bank and Customs.
Odaudu who is a former Islanders coach told the club’s Media team that his side is fully ready for the season after weeks of intense training.
He said: “We have prepared as much as we can, we have done all we can do as humans, we think we are ready to go, as confidence goes.
“I think it’s a league, we are ready to face any team, but we are not at this point where we need to be right now.
“Thank God it’s a league and we are going to be practicing. Before we get to the half-way stage, we should be nearing the point where we want to be.
Ambitious teams all over always start the year with things to aspire to become or targets they intend to meet. As regards that, Odaudu hinted that Hoopers have set a minimal target of getting to the play-off stages.
“We are hoping to qualify for the play-off which is the target that we have set even as management. We want to go as far as the play-offs for this season. Going all the way to the finals or to the knock out stages will be great but our target for this season is just making it to the play-off.” the Benue-born Coach enthused.
Rivers Hoopers’ opening game is expected to be against Kwara Falcons on Friday March 11, 2016. The visitors from Ilorin are already in town but there still remains a bit of uncertainty surrounding the commencement of the league this weekend.