The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has unveiled ‘BAL Elevate’, a new programme that will see one NBA Academy Africa prospect join each of the 12 BAL teams for the league’s 2022 season getting under March 5.
The inaugural BAL Elevate cohort will feature 12 prospects from six African countries who currently attend NBA Academy Africa, an elite basketball training center in Saly, Senegal.
The programme provides an opportunity for the next generation of African prospects to participate in the new professional league, showcase their talent on a global stage and help their respective teams compete for the 2022 BAL Championship.
"We believe BAL Elevate will be immensely valuable to the 12 BAL teams and to the young men from NBA Academy Africa who are ready to contribute at the professional level alongside the best players on the continent,” said BAL President, Amadou Gallo Fall.
"There is a natural synergy between the BAL and NBA Academy Africa, and this programme will provide another pathway for elite African prospects to reach their potential as players and people,” he added.
The BAL Elevate selection process was conducted on Tuesday, March 1, by BAL team presidents.
During the selection, BAL Elevate players from the same country as a BAL team were automatically appointed to that team. If there was more than one BAL Elevate player from the same country as a BAL team, the team selected one of the players while the remaining player(s) re-joined the player pool for the opportunity to be selected by a different team.
BAL Elevate players will not share in the prize money awarded to the top BAL teams at the end of the season to preserve their amateur status.
The 12 BAL teams, which include defending BAL Champion Zamalek (Egypt), have been divided into two conferences – the Sahara Conference and the Nile Conference. Each conference will play a 15-game group phase during which each team will face the five other teams in its conference.
The Sahara Conference group phase will take place at the Dakar Arena from March 5-15, while the Nile Conference group phase will take place at Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo from April 9-19.
The top four teams from each conference will qualify for the BAL Playoffs, which will feature a single-elimination tournament and finals at Kigali Arena from May 21-28.
BAL Elevate players:
Sahara Conference: Nadir Bennis (AS Sale), Reuben Abuchi Chinyelu (CFV). Babacar Sane (DUC), Joy Ighovodja (REG), Serigne Saliou Mbaye (S.LA.C) and Charles Loic Onana Awana (US Monastir).
Nile Conference: Matar Diop (Cape Town Tigers), Khaman Madit Maluach (Cobra Sport), Emmanuel Eberechukwu Okorafor (Espoir Fukash), Ulrich Kamka Chomche (F.A.P), Thierry Serge Darlan (Petro de Luanda) and Khadim Rassoul Mboup (Zamalek).