D'Tigers overcome travel woes to seal first win in Angola

...New era begins with comeback win as D'Tigers defeat Tunisia

...Fizdale reveals NBA stars keen to Join D'Tigers after Tunisia win

...Delighted with D'Tigers return – Ikenna Iroegbu

...Collective toughness earns victory over Tunisia – Fizdale

By Maxwell Kumoye and Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye

 

 

Nigeria's senior men's basketball team, D'Tigers, produced a spirited comeback to defeat Tunisia 84-81 in their opening game of the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers in Angola, with head coach David Fizdale hailing his players' resilience after overcoming a difficult build-up to the contest.

The victory was particularly impressive considering the circumstances surrounding Nigeria's preparations, as the newly assembled squad had just one training session and a walkthrough before taking on one of Africa's most experienced teams.

"We literally had one practice and one walkthrough," Fizdale told reporters after the game.

"Our travel plans were disrupted, we had players arriving from all over the world, many of them with long flights and little sleep. For these guys to come in and compete against a very good Tunisia team that's extremely well coached says a lot about them. They fought hard from start to finish and found a way to get the win."

Nigeria erased a 10-point deficit before edging the North Africans in a tense finish, with Fizdale attributing the comeback to his team's character rather than flawless execution.

"I think it came down to our collective toughness," he said.

"We did a lot of things wrong because we haven't spent much time together. But mentally and physically, we stayed tough down the stretch. It would have been easy for us to get discouraged, but our guys stayed together, got the defensive stops we needed and made the big shots when it mattered most."

The American coach, who recently took charge of D'Tigers, revealed that assembling the squad required an intensive recruitment drive involving players across different continents.

"I've known for about a month and a half, maybe two months, that I'd be coaching this team. As soon as I got the job, I leaned heavily on our general manager and a lot of these players to evaluate who we needed to bring for this window.

"I immediately started recruiting players, making phone calls, talking to guys overseas and working with our local players. It was a lot of work."

Fizdale also disclosed that several Nigerian players currently in the NBA have expressed a strong desire to represent the country, with certification remaining the major hurdle before they can feature in future qualifying windows.

"We probably have four, maybe six or seven NBA players who genuinely want to be part of this programme. They're texting me, they're calling me, and that's exciting," he said.

"This window gives us a great opportunity to evaluate everyone without the NBA players here. These guys have put themselves in a strong position to compete for places on the roster as we build toward the World Cup and hopefully the Olympics."

Despite admitting he is still learning the African basketball landscape, Fizdale praised the quality of opposition on the continent.

"Every team we've seen is very well coached. They know their roles and execute them well. Because we haven't been together long, everyone is still learning what I want to do, and I have to be careful not to overload them. We've focused on the essentials and we're hoping our talent and toughness will be enough."

Guard Ikenna Ugochukwu Iroegbu, who returned to the national team after several years away, described the victory as an emotional moment.

"It's an incredible feeling. Honestly, I didn't think I'd get the chance to wear this jersey again," Iroegbu said.

"To be back here, especially with my family, my brother and so many other guys who feel like brothers, means a lot. I missed this feeling. I'm just grateful we got the win and now we can build on it."

Fizdale reserved special praise for Chimezie Metu, whose influential display came after recovering from a serious Achilles injury.

"I coached him in Phoenix, so we've known each other for a while. He knows how much belief I have in him. That's exactly how I want him to play, aggressive," Fizdale said.

"He did everything tonight. He knocked down threes, hit floaters, scored in the post and grabbed key rebounds. Coming back from such a serious injury and making this kind of impact is a huge achievement."

The coach also explained why he spent much of the game away from the bench, revealing that administrative certification issues prevented him from officially coaching courtside.

"We didn't even know until just before the opening tip that I wasn't going to be able to coach from the bench," he explained.

Fortunately, veteran NBA assistant coach David Lawrence Vanterpool and Jeleel Akindele seamlessly stepped into the role.

"We looked at each other and I said, 'All right, you've got it.' We've been friends for 25 years. During the game, he called a play that became our best offensive action. That's the value of having such an experienced coach on the staff.

"The trust was already there, and we simply went out, played our hearts out and left the excuses at the door."

The dramatic victory gives Nigeria an encouraging start to their World Cup qualifying campaign and offers an early glimpse of the potential of Fizdale's new-look D'Tigers as they continue their quest for a place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.