OAKLAND – The Nigerian National Basketball Team concluded its first week of training camp in Oakland this week and will continue preparations for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo with an additional week of practices in Oakland beginning on Monday, June 28.
Team Nigeria invited a total of 46 players to participate in camp and will reduce the roster to 20 players ahead of next week’s sessions before reaching the 15-man roster limit prior to the team’s slate of exhibition games in Las Vegas.
Several players competing this week expect to make up the foundation for the future of the program during International competition. The 46-man roster includes a total of 16 players with NBA experience and 10 active collegiate players.
“We have a great group of guys and had a really productive start to our training camp,” said Nigerian National Team Head Coach Mike Brown. “I can’t thank everyone who participated this week enough for the effort and energy they brought to our practices, and we’re looking forward to building off of this foundation as we continue to work toward Tokyo.”
The Nigerian team will play three exhibition games in Las Vegas, beginning with a matchup against the United States on July 10, before departing for Tokyo. Nigeria will open its Olympic schedule against Australia on July 25 to open play in Group B of the preliminary round. The 2020 Olympic Games mark Nigeria’s third-straight Olympic appearance after competing in London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Coach Brown, who is currently an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors after previous head coaching stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, is the first active NBA coach ever to lead Team Nigeria.
Camp resumes next week with several NBA players expected to arrive as they compete for a place on the 15-man roster. See below for a complete roster of the Nigerian Basketball Team camp participants.
For updates on the Nigerian National Team, follow @NigeriaBasket on Twitter. For press inquiries, email Brett Winkler (bwinkler@warriors.com).
PLAYER | POS | HT | WT | COLLEGE | LAST PLAYED |
Efe Abogidi | PF | 6-10 | 225 | Washington State | — |
Abdul-Malik Abu | C | 6-8 | 235 | N.C. State | Fethiye (Turkey) |
Precious Achiuwa | C | 6-8 | 225 | Memphis | Miami Heat (NBA) |
Michael Adewunmi | SG | 6-5 | 205 | UT-Rio Grande Valley | — |
Caleb Agada | SG | 6-3 | 209 | Ottawa | Hapeol Be’er Sheva B.C. (Israel) |
Chibuzo Agbo | SF | 6-7 | 215 | Texas Tech | — |
Joshua Ajayi | PF | 6-6 | 229 | South Alabama | Hermine Nantes (France) |
Warith Alatishe | PF | 6-7 | 200 | Oregon State | — |
Udoka Azubuike | C | 7-0 | 270 | Kansas | Utah Jazz (NBA) |
Ike Diogu | C | 6-8 | 250 | Arizona State | Bameso (Dominican Republic) |
Stephen Domingo | PF | 6-7 | 210 | California | Lakeland Magic (G League) |
TK Edogi | PF | 6-8 | 220 | Iona | Saint-Chamond (France) |
Amanze Egezeke | PF | 6-8 | 215 | Belmont | Gries-Oberhoffen (France) |
Obi Emegano | PG | 6-3 | 215 | Oral Roberts | Fuenlabrada (Spain) |
Festus Ezeli | C | 6-11 | 255 | Vanderbilt | Westchester Knicks (G League) |
Michael Eric | C | 6-11 | 240 | Temple | CSKA Moscow (Russia) |
Michael Gbinije | SF | 6-7 | 200 | Syracuse | BC Nevezis (Lithuania) |
Gideon George | SF | 6-6 | 190 | BYU | — |
Zaid Hearst | SG | 6-4 | 125 | Quinnipiac | Alba Fehervar (Hungary) |
Ike Iroegbu | PG | 6-2 | 190 | Washington State | Elan Chalon (France) |
UC Iroegbu | PG | 6-0 | 180 | Stony Brook | CP La Roda (Spain) |
Tonye Jekiri | C | 7-0 | 244 | Miami | Baskonia (Spain) |
Makenzie Mgbako | SF | 6-7 | 195 | — | — |
Christian Mekowulu | C | 6-8 | 245 | Texas A&M | Treviso (Italy) |
Chimezie Metu | C | 6-11 | 215 | USC | Sacramento Kings (NBA) |
Chima Moneke | PF | 6-6 | 216 | UC-Davis | Orleans (France) |
Monte Morris | PG | 6-2 | 183 | Iowa State | Denver Nuggets (NBA) |
Ike Ndugba | PG | 6-0 | 186 | Elon University | — |
Ike Nwamu | SG | 6-5 | 205 | UNLV | Samara (Russia) |
Jordan Nwora | SF | 6-8 | 225 | Louisville | Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) |
Manny Obaseki | SG | 6-3 | 176 | Texas A&M | — |
Michael Oguine | PG | 6-2 | 171 | Montana | BC Souffelweyersheim (France) |
Emeka Okafor | C | 6-10 | 252 | Connecticut | Mobis Phoebus (South Korea) |
Jahlil Okafor | C | 6-10 | 270 | Duke | Detroit Pistons (NBA) |
Mike Okauru | PG | 6-3 | 185 | UNC-Wilmington | — |
Josh Okogie | SG | 6-4 | 213 | Georgia Tech | Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) |
KZ Okpala | SF | 6-8 | 215 | Stanford | Miami Heat (NBA) |
Elijah Olaniyi | SG | 6-5 | 205 | Stony Brook | — |
Keith Omoerah | SF | 6-5 | 200 | Manitoba | Poitiers (France) |
Emmanuel Omogbo | C | 6-8 | 210 | Colorado State | Vellaznimi (Kosovo) |
Clifford Omoruyi | C | 6-11 | 240 | Rutgers | — |
Miye Oni | PG | 6-5 | 206 | Yale | Utah Jazz (NBA) |
Ekpe Udoh | C | 6-10 | 245 | Baylor | Beijing RF (China) |
Ben Uzoh | PG | 6-3 | 205 | Tulsa | Rivers Hoopers (BAL) |
Gabe Vincent | SG | 6-3 | 200 | UC-Santa Barbara | Miami Heat (NBA) |
Talib Zanna | C | 6-9 | 230 | Pittsburgh | Hapoel Tel-Aviv (Israel) |