Players and managers on Wednesday spoke to NAIJ.COM on their chances of winning the DSTV Premier Basketball League championship.
Game three concluded with victories for Mark Mentors, Kano Pillars, Gombe Bulls and Union Bank.
In the second game of the day, Mark Mentors defeated Customs 65-51 to ensure its impossible for the Customs to win the championship title.
Reacting to the defeat, Customs manager, Scott Nnaji told NAIJ.COM his team lost because of a lack of experience in his side. He said: “They are better, they are more organised and have more experienced players who are already playing for the national team.”
Coach Scott Nnaji
Speaking of his team’s aspirations in the coming season the coach he intends to bring in young players who are more agile than the present squad while he supplements them with more experienced players.
He said: “We will bring older players who can still move and try to make sure we are more organised and see see if we can get people who are more skillful to help what we have.”
In the third game of the day, Kano Pillars narrowly defeated Dodan Warrior 67-66 and star player Abubakar Usman, told NAIJ.COM that his team tried to play individually in the first, second and third quarter but became more of a team in the fourth quarter.
He said: “In the first, second and third quarter we didn’t play as a team as we were playing individual game but in the last quarter when we realized that if we didn’t play as a team we would lose, the team then decided to play as a team”.
Speaking on his team’s title hopes (Pillars are seeking a fourth consecutive championship), Usman was bullish in his assessment. He said: “We have come here to defend or title, we have come here to win again and go back with the trophy.”
Usman also alleged that teams might be afraid to face pillars because of their star players and the experience they possess. He said: “When teams hear that name; Pillars, they know Mattew, Jamba Jamba, Omaga is there. So before they even face pillars they will be thinkking of how to tackle our star players.”
Meanwhile, coach Sani Ahmed of Kano Pillars attribute the success of Pillars on the team morale, outstanding debts paid by Governor Umar Ganduje and individual quality.
Coach Sani Ahmed of Kano Pillars
He said: “One factor cannot determine our success. Right now the present governor (Ganduje) has really helped the team because all their outstanding debts throughout the year has been settled and we are grateful to him as morale has increased in the team.
“The players have been together for a long time and the spirit to win are the factors in our success.”
Speaking on the lack of concentration his team showed in the last quarter of the match, the coach said a lack of defense almost cost his team a win. He also attributed the close end to the match to complacency on the part of his players.
Speaking on the prospect of his players moving to the European and American league to further their careers, Ahmed said: “Playing in other league is not just sending them out to clubs to play. The players must first play for the national team first because the scouts go to international competitions to look at them.”
He said some of his players have been poached by some tope teams. He continued:“A few times that I have gone to club competitions, scouts have called on Mattew, Omaga and when you play in international competitions for the national team, the CV is enhanced and that is why I try to put my players in teams in international competitions that am in charge of.”
Here is what the table looks like after game 3 of the DSTV Basketball Playoffs 2015:
No comments:
Post a Comment