FIBA Basketball

    AfroBasket 2015 - Power Ranking: Week 2

    ABIDJAN (AfroBAsket 2015)- Every week leading up to AfroBasket 2015 tipping off on 19 August, our basketball experts will be ranking the 16 teams bound for Tunis

    ABIDJAN (AfroBasket 2015)- Every week leading up to AfroBasket 2015 tipping off on 19 August, our basketball experts will be ranking the 16 teams bound for Tunis, based on their respective rosters and preparations for the Championship.

    NB: The rankings are entirely the opinion of our experts and have no mathematical or theoretical grounding

    1

    Tunisia

    The team recorded two wins against Latvia’s B team and this has enabled them to keep their place at the top. Considering the solidity of the Tunisian group, the addition of Michael Roll to their roster and the home court advantage, it will be difficult to bump them off the top step of the podium.
    2  

    Angola
    Like Tunisia, they had a pair of wins in warm-up games, with theirs coming against Venezuela. However, they were dealt a blow with the talented Yanick Moreira confirming his forfeit for next month’s tournament. This setback prevents Angola from going up in the rankings.
    3  

    Nigeria
    Despite having an incomplete preliminary squad, Nigeria still managed to win two games in the three-team friendly tournament they played in France. The D’Tigers won against Central African Republic (CAF) and against a selection of France-based players. This is a good sign that Nigeria can still finish in the top three of this summer’s event.
    4  

    Senegal
    Good news: Gorgui Sy has confirmed his participation at AfroBasket 2015. Bad news: the team confirmed the unavailability of Maurice Ndour as the 23-year-old forward signed a contract with Dallas Mavericks. Even if the shortlisted players are still in the right dynamics and mindset of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, it may not be enough to reach the podium.
    5  

    Cameroon
    Luc Mbah a Moute looks likely to make the trip to Tunisia. With a strong group that has been working together for almost a month, Cameroon may still find it hard to achieve a better result than fifth-place. The warm-up game scheduled for 3 August against Tunisia will be the occasion to see what Lazare Adingono’s men are capable of.
    6  

    Egypt

    In their preparations, Egypt dominated Saudi Arabia but it is clear that the team still have much to improve on as they add news players to their squad. If nothing changes, it will be difficult for them to climb up this ranking.
    7  

    Cote d’Ivoire

    Head coach Hugues Occansey is still missing some key players. If nothing is done in the coming days, Cote d’Ivoire may not even be able to claim this seventh-place at the tournament.
    8  

    Cape Verde

    The Islanders quietly continue their preparations far from the spotlight. Ivan Almeida’s return confirms that Cape Verde can achieve a better than their sixth-place in 2013 – even if Edy Tavares and Jeff Xavier have not yet joined the group.
    9  

    Morocco

    Whatever happens, Morocco do not have the strength to win the title. With a newly-appointed coach who is in the process of getting to know the players, ninth place is not a bad ranking.
    10  

    Central Africa Republic (CAF)

    The Central African Republic (CAF) move up a spot this week. This is due to the good performances they’ve achieved at the beginning of their preparations. The team has registered two wins over teams consisting of France-based players and had a six-point loss against Nigeria.
    11  

    Mali

    Nothing has changed in their ranking. The team has played two warm-up games, winning one and losing one against Algeria.
    12  

    Algeria

    The Algerians have not yet shown they have the skills to be title contenders for this year’s AfroBasket. They have a lot to improve on if they want to finish higher than 12th place.
    13  

    Gabon

    The team is facing huge difficulties to run its initial preparation programme. And that is not the best way to motivate players. So their current ranking is well deserved.
    14  

    Mozambique

    There is nothing significant that could help Mozambique go up in the rankings this week. Although the core of their team consists of players who know each other, we will have to wait and see how they progress.
    15  

    Uganda

    One of two debutants at AfroBasket 2015, they are currently holding a camp on home soil. For now, Uganda have not played any warm-up games against other national teams. This explains the status quo.
    16  

    Zimbabwe

    The second team set to make its first appearance in Africa’s flagship event recently confirmed a significant reinforcement with Vitalis Chikoko joining the training camp. But the 2.09m player alone is not enough to change things at the moment.