D’Tigers captain, Ike Diogu; 2015 NBA winner with Golden State Warriors, Festus Ezeli, and Ben Uzoh are some notable names coach Mike Brown included in a 20-man provisional list for the 2021 Afrobasket qualifiers
Coach Brown who will officially begin his assignment with Nigeria submitted a list featuring seven players who featured at the 2019 FIBA World Cup where Nigeria qualified for the Olympics in Tokyo.
Diogu will lead the legion which includes 29-year-old Stan Okoye (Gran Canaria), Ben Uzoh, Ike Iroegbu, Talib Zanna, Ekpe Udoh and Michael Eric.
Festus Ezeli will take his NBA experience to Rwanda and fight for a chance to represent Nigeria for the first time ever alongside a member of the 2015 Afrobasket winning team, Mike Gbinije.
After missing the final 12-man team to the World Cup, France-based Ike Nwamu will make another return to the team alongside Tonye Jekiri, Christopher Obekpa, Braxton Ogbueze, Mike Efevberha, Obinna Emegano who at some point featured during the team’s 2019 qualifiers series.
Chima Moneke who has averaged 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in four games for Orléan in the French league has also been called up for the first time alongside Zaid Christopher Hearst-Okpalannaka who plies his trade in the second tier of the French league.
Other new faces who will hope to earn their first cap include Real Betis power-forward, Obi Enechionyia alongside Ogbunu John and Rasheed Sulaimon who play for Casademont Zaragoza.
The 2021 Afrobasket qualifiers will take place in Kigali, Rwanda between November 27 and 29.
