Offia Abel made his Rivers Hoopers debut on Wednesday night, as the Rivers Hoopers defeated Unilag 80-32 at the Louis Edem Foundation Invitation Basketball Championship.
Abel scored 12 points in 8 minutes in his first game of action. Abel got his wish but it appears the Hoopers‘ newly-acquired Player finds himself in the same situation he was trying to escape.
Offia Abel was not available when the Rivers Hoopers faced his former coach who was seen coaching the Comets, on Wednesday. He was out for both the first and the second game due to a sprained right ankle, his teammates told reporters on Wednesday.
On top of that, the defensive-minded coach hinted that Abel’s spot in the rotation isn’t guaranteed. As tantalizing Offia Abel is as a talent, He flashed teases of his potential during last seasons NBBF Finals 8 against the entire league, which he capped with a 17-point effort and plus13 differential in the Semi final Win. However, it can be argued that the lack of a defined role in the loaded Rivers Hoopers lineup could be a culprit, which is a primary reason why the coach decided to sit him out.
Abel had it going a little early on, making just four out of six attempts, but the 17yrs old settled in after hitting back to back 3pts. “It felt great to get the first one out of the way,” Abel said. “Obviously the win is the most important and it was an emotional night. So hooray for me.”
Abel finished the game shooting 4-of-6, making two triples in the win, each to the pleasure of the fans. “Abel’s attitude is always he just wants to eat,” Hoopers coach said. “Kill and eat. That’s how he operates. And he’s a winner. And he wants to do everything he can to win the game. I thought the guys got a great deal of energy from him tonight just being on the floor. Everybody’s excited that he’s back.”