The second edition of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) will see 12 teams from around the continent compete in a very different format from that of 2021, across three months instead of a two-week COVID-induced bubble.
The tournament is divided into three stints, with the Sahara Conference taking place in Dakar, Senegal from March 5-15, the Nile Conference in Cairo, Egypt, from April 9-19, and the playoffs and finals coming to Kigali, Rwanda, from May 21-28.
Champions Zamalek return to action looking to defend their title as they kick off the campaign at home next month, while new faces Cape Town Tigers (South Africa), DUC Dakar (Senegal), Rwanda Energy Group (REG) of Rwanda and South Sudan champions Cobra Sport are looking forward to making their debuts.
Another key change is the addition of NBA Academy Africa players to each roster of participating teams, with one teen from the Academy in Saly, Senegal, joining the teams through the BAL 2022 campaign.
While they will not be eligible for any prize money, the experience gained will be invaluable for potential NCAA and big league talents.
How to watch the games
The BAL will air across Africa on ESPN's channels on DSTv, as well as selected Free to Air partners. ESPN+ and ESPN News will air the tournament in the United States.
History
Newly-hired AS Salé coach Liz Mills will make history when she leads the Moroccan champions at the BAL 2022, becoming the first woman to coach a BAL side, and the first to coach a Moroccan men's team.
The Australian continues to prove her worth against all odds having previously coached the Kenyan National Team as head coach during the 2021 Afrobasket held in Kigali in September last year.
Rivers Hoopers’ last-minute disqualification
The second edition of the Basketball Africa League will be missing a significant component when it tips off in March, after Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers were replaced in the last hours by Morocco's AS Sale.
Both sides competed at the first edition, and Hoopers had qualified for this year's tournament before FIBA, the sport's governing body, deemed them ineligible after the Nigeria Basketball Federation failed to organise the 2021 regular season.