Eke Aims Success With Hoopers At BAL To Elevate Nigeria Basketball

Devine Eke is determined to lead Rivers Hoopers to success in the 2024 Basketball Africa League.
Despite facing tough competition in the Sahara Conference lineup, Eke is confident in the team’s ability to advance.
He is optimistic about Rivers Hoopers’ chances in their first BAL tournament.

Eko Hot Blog reports that Forward Devine Eke reveals that he aims to elevate Nigerian basketball by leading Rivers Hoopers to success in the 2024 Basketball Africa League.

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Rivers Hoopers, the five-time champions of the Nigerian Basketball League, face a challenging Sahara Conference lineup in the BAL.

It includes former champions US Monastir from Tunisia, 2023 runners-up AS Douanes from Senegal, and Rwandan champions APR.

However, Eke being one of the last additions to the Hoopers’ squad ahead of the tournament kickoff on Saturday

He expresses confidence that the team has the capability to advance in the competition.

“I honestly think, looking at the little that I’ve seen in the past few days, we can go pretty far because everyone here has the same goal,” Eke said.

Nigeria Basketball Team, D’Tigers

“We’re all trying to win the competition. Nobody is selfish here, and we’re all together. So, I feel we can go really far.

“I understand that this is a tough conference that we’re going into, and I’m very excited to see how we play.

The 27-year old who made his debut with the Nigeria senior men’s basketball team, the D’Tigers, during the 2025 Afrobasket qualifiers in Tunisia in February.

This showcased impressive stats, averaging 22 points, 8.3 rebounds, and five assists across three games.

Eke emphasized his determination to secure victory at the BAL, aiming to elevate Nigerian basketball’s status in the process.

“I want to win. we want to win the championship. I want to go to Rwanda, and I want to do big things.

“Like I said before, putting Nigerian basketball back where it’s supposed to be is the big thing I want to do,” he said.

Having previously played for Zunder Palencia in Spain, Acadêmica Efapel in Portugal, Zeeuw & Zeeuw Feyenoord in the Netherlands, and OKK Sloboda Tuzla in Bosnia.

The experienced forward is thrilled to participate in his inaugural BAL tournament.

He is optimistic about Rivers Hoopers’ prospects in season four of the BAL, provided the team maintains its focus and executes effectively.