BAL: Rivers Hoopers Add Egyptian And American To Roster

Three-time Nigerian champions Rivers Hoopers have fortified their squad ahead of their campaign in the Basketball Africa League by securing the signatures of American Billy Baptist and Egyptian Ahmed Hamdy Mohamed.

The double signing follows the capture of American Kaylon Tappin whom the KingsMen signed on Tuesday.

Competition rules allow teams to sign two American players and another two African players to their roster for the tournament.

Baptist spent his 2013/2014 season in the NBA Developmental League for the Bakersfield Jam. He appeared in 42 games for the Jam and averaged 7.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 1.2 APG.

The 32 year old small forward moved on to London Lightning in Canada where he averaged 5.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 1.5 APG.

 

Baptist, an undrafted pick in the 2011 NBA Draft has also played for Baxi Manresa and Unicaja Malaga in Spain, Merlins Crailsheim in Germany and Keflavik in Iceland.

Meanwhile, Mohamed averaged 16.2 PPG, and 10 RPG while shooting 54.5 percent from the field as a freshman at Lee College in Baytown, Texas in the 2014/2015 season.

The 26-year-old power forward was one of nine Egyptian-born players on an NCAA team, seven of whom played an NCAA Division 1 team.

Mohamed also averaged 5.9 PPG and 3.8 RPG while shooting 47.7 percent as a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and helped the Rams as they are fondly called to a 26-9 record as he played in 33 of 34 games and nine starts in the 2016/2017 season.

Ahmed Hamdy Mohamed

The 6’9” Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness graduate at VCU had a wonderful senior season a year later averaging 5.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 13.2 minutes per game.

Hoopers were drawn alongside Patriots, Ferroviario de Maputo, US Monastir, Forces Armees et Police Basketball (FAP) and Zamalek in the Nile Conference of the BAL.

They face Mozambican League champions Ferroviario de Maputo in their opening game on 21 March in Monastir, Tunisia.

The top four teams from the Nile Conference will advance to the single-elimination playoffs (Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, third Place Game and Championship Game) scheduled to take place between May 26 and 31 in Kigali, Rwanda.