The Rivers Hoopers head coach, Ogoh Odaudu is optimistic his team will do well at the Conference play offs in Lagos.
The two-time Nigeria Basketball League Champions will fight for a place in the last four in the Atlantic Conference after finishing third in the regular season.
A confident Odaudu is working towards avoiding errors that would dent his side’s chances of playing in the finals of the current campaign.
Odaudu believes the team is learning and getting better. “We are picking up gradually and the regular season games are for you to make your mistakes and correct them going into the play offs”.
“You will see a different Rivers Hoopers team when we get to the play offs because we are not going to make the kind of mistakes we made in the league.
“You lose one, you put yourself in a very serious trouble. So we are going to take every game as it comes.”
Meanwhile, the Benue-born coach has called for strict measures to be taken on match officials who falter in their responsibilities.
“They should be strict with the table officials and the referees.
A basketball game is supposed to be played with three referees but we are managing two and when one doesn’t show up entirely, it doesn’t speak well for the game.
NBBF should take disciplinary measures on any referee or match commissioner that refuses to show up for any game.” Odaudu concluded.
The play offs has been moved by one day and will commence on Tuesday June 7 till Saturday June 11.