Hoops N’ Reads bow out of NPBL Final 8 with lessons

Hoops N’ Reads bow out of NPBL Final 8 with lessons

Hoops N’ Reads brought their Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final 8 campaign to a close on a disappointing note, falling 68-53 to Kano Pillars in their final game of the season.

The Lagos-based side finished seventh after recording one victory in seven games, but despite the difficult campaign, the young Hoops N’ Reads roster provided glimpses of a team with considerable potential for the future.

Against Kano Pillars, Hoops N’ Reads struggled to find their rhythm and were unable to lead in any of the four quarters as the experienced Kano side maintained control throughout the contest.

The defeat brought an end to a demanding Final 8 campaign in which the young Lagos outfit was tested against some of the best teams in the league.

Head coach Emeka Oputa, said, the team's struggles were largely a combination of fatigue, injuries and the relative inexperience of the players.

“We have players who have injuries, and fatigue really set in. We could not pick it up today at all,” Oputa said.

However, the coach was quick to highlight the positives from the campaign, stressing that the team’s youth and lack of experience should be viewed as part of its development rather than a weakness.

“Every other team that we have played, the team has really done well, but young players, inexperienced players, fatigue has already set in,” he added.

Oputa believes the experience gained during the Final 8 will be invaluable to the players as they continue their development, particularly after competing against more established teams under the demanding schedule.

The coach also praised Hoops N’ Reads President Olumide Oyedeji (OLY) for his support and commitment to the team throughout the competition.

Looking ahead, Oputa said the club would return to the drawing board to assess the campaign, with player recruitment, preparation and team chemistry among the areas to be addressed ahead of next season.

He revealed that the team only began preparations for the Final 8 at short notice, a factor he believes affected their cohesion and readiness for the demanding competition.

“We need more time to stay together. As a matter of fact, we started on the first of May as a team. We'll look at it. We’ll be able to start a little bit earlier and stay together to gel as a team,” he said.

With an earlier start to preparations, Oputa is confident that the young players can develop stronger chemistry, improve their understanding of the game and become more competitive next season.

The possibility of adding foreign players to the squad was also raised, with Oputa explaining that such a decision would ultimately be made by the club's management.

For Hoops N’ Reads, the Final 8 may have ended with a disappointing seventh-place finish, but the campaign has also provided a valuable learning experience for a young squad still finding its identity.

With more preparation time, greater experience and continued investment in the players, the Lagos side will hope to turn the lessons of this season into a stronger challenge when the NPBL returns.