NGR - Masai Ujiri on Nigeria road to Japan

::WIN a trip to the FIBA World Championship Finals weekend ::

LAGOS (FIBA World Championship) - Former Nigeria international and Denver Nuggets basketball club international scout Masai Ujiri takes a hard look at the country preparation toward its second outing at the FIBA World Championship and concludes that its been a good start for the Sam Vincent coached team.

Ujiri who has been pensilled down by the technical committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF to serve as assistant to Adeka Daudu in moulding a winning under 18 men's team that will defend the African Junior Basketball Championship holding in Durban, South Africa from July 28 through August 6 this year want the NBBF to set the tune for the Africa met early enough.

"I think the preparation this year has been very good. I came down to watch the Global games in Dallas and also support our program".

Isah Umar and Sam Vincent have done a great job putting things together. With a first phase camp involving about 18 players, it is very important to look at a lot of guys while giving your veterans time to rest after their season at various clubs. It is good to see old players like Gabe Manouke, Ime Udoka and Julius Nwosu at the camp working hard with the younger guys and leading them.

"We are trying to build a program, and to achieve this. I think the NBBF President, Elder Gyang Buba, Isah Umar, Sam Vincent and the federation have done a great job, creating a program and schedule for the summer and abiding by it. I think the players are enjoying their camp, accomodations and travel has been well put together."

On the basketball side Sam has done a good job setting pace and I think making his priority at finding a point guard. With Churchill Odia's injury and Ubaka Ayinde still pending, it remains a great challenge.

"I hope once this is done, and the veterans come in, the team will begin to shape-up. I spoke to Obinna Ekezie and also met with Ike Diogu and they have shown great interest in the world championships and when other players like Tunji Awojobi and Olumide join in the second phase, it will give us more depth and experience. After that we need strong friendly games and tournaments. Then its left to the coach to find the right mix and click going into the championships.

On our chances at the world met, I am hoping we solidify our national team with a consistent program. I hope we can compete, win a couple games and advance to the second round.

It was good to see the president here in Dallas supporting the team in every way. This is the way of moving the game forward.

The team played its second friendly game where Udoka scored 25 points with Muoneke contributing 22.

On The Junior National Team

"I think from past results we have shown that we dominate this competition and other age group tournaments in Africa. The last group of young talent we had in this competition were suberb. Such great young talents as Churchil Odia, Nurudeen Adepoju, Solomon Tat, Ejike Ugboaja, Stanley Gumut, Usman abubakar, Tunji Soroye have all turned out to be outstanding players and all playing good ball in various colleges or at club levels."

"With this group we also have a group of kids very talented. From camps we have established with the top 50, bigman camps, Olumide Oyedeji camps, Milo High School Championships and clinics, the premier league, clubs, we have been able to discover a lot of young talent now in Nigeria and also younger kids from our programs playing in high school in the United States of America."

"With the league getting in full swing, clubs and coaches have also done a great job playing youngerstars and giving them more exposure. We have seen this with guys like Michael Ohiero, Oseer Ikyaator,Frank Eze and George Ehigwana with the comets, Mbaram Omori,Ayodele Ahmed,Mohammed Bukar with the Warriors and Azeez Oladimeji and Temitope Ahmed of the Islanders. This kids will be a big part of our junior team that will represent Nigeria in South Africa come July and August."

"We have also identify some of our outsandng youngstars playing in high school in the USA. Solomon Alabi, Joseph Katuka, Dele Coker, Emmanuel Negedu..etc."

"We have made it clear that these players must be flown home in good time to compete and blend with the kids at home."

"It is good to see coach Adeka Daudu get the opportunity to command a team in the African Championships. He has done a great job travelling round the country finding the right players. We had time to watch about four league games and access players and put a list together."

"Our goal is not only to win the junior championships but to dominate”.

"It is now left to the federation to bring the players together in a training camp environment to prepare for the tournament".

"I'll continue to keep working hard to give the youth of Nigeria a chance to grow as people and as basketball players. Its increasingly becomes more difficult as my role continuues to increse withe Denver Nuggets".

Olusegun Ikuesan
FIBA Correspondent in Nigeria