Obadiah Noel talks life at APR, BAL targets
Monday, April 29, 2024
APR Basketball Club new point guard Obadiah Noel dribbles past REG BB player during Genocide Memorial Tournament at BK Arena. Dan Gatsinzi

APR Basketball Club new point guard Obadiah Noel has opened up about life at his new club and the targets he has for himself and the club ahead of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2024.

Noel part of the roster that APR head coach Mazen Trakh will take to Dakar, Senegal, on Monday, April 29, ahead of the Sahara Conference that will take place at the Dakar Arena from May 4-12.

ALSO READ: Basketball: APR signs two G-League players ahead of BAL 2024

Speaking to Times Sport, Noel, who plies his trade with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G-League, said he is already loving life at APR and is ready to make a good contribution when the Sahara Conference tips off.

"I think we're going to do really well. We compete hard in practice. So when we go out there, we should be ready,” the American, who joined the club a fortnight ago, said in an interview.

"Everybody wants to win, everybody's on the same page. So I feel like we're going to have a good, a good showing in the BAL,” he added.

ALSO READ: Star guard Noel proves why APR signed him ahead of BAL

So far, Noel has featured for APR in two games during the Basketball Genocide Memorial Tournament and his performance on the flour made an immediate impact to the club which won the tournament.

He was the club highest scorer with an impressive 26 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists as APR beat Rwanda Energy Group (REG) 99-66 in the GMT semifinals before contributing another 13 points and 3 rebounds to help APR beat Patriots 80-63 in the final of the tournament.

Noel told Times Sport that he can contribute more at APR not only through scoring but also other aspects like creating.

"I like to get everybody involved. I can score, I can shoot, and I can open and create for others. So, you know, that's what it's all about,” he noted.

Talking about his targets at the forthcoming BAL Sahara Conference, he noted that he wants not only to qualify for the playoffs but also win every game.

"To be honest, I want to go there and win every single game. I don't like to lose. Nobody here likes to lose so we're going to go out there with a competitive edge and mindset,” he said.

APR is one of four teams that will play the Sahara Conference. Other teams include BAL Season 2 champions US Monastir (Tunisia), Nigerian champions Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria) and 2023 runners-up AS Douanes (Senegal).