Kano Pillars Usman nominated among 12 best at FIBA Africa ACCC

Abubakar Usman, Kano Pillars Basketball Club shooting guard, has been nominated by FIBA Africa among the best 12 players currently competing in its ongoing Champions Club Cup (ACCC) in Egypt. Usman scores 18 points per game and recently recorded the highest point by any player in a game with 34 points in his team’s 91-81 victory over Algeria’s Groupement Sportif des Pétroliers. Usman has over the years been rated as the best player in the domestic league, the DSTv Basketball Men’s League, claiming four times unrivalled Most Valuable Players award. As Kano Pillars are set to engage Association Sportive de Salé of Morrocco for the third place bronze medal, Usman’s exploits will certainly not go unnoticed. A victory for the Pillars in the third place match will go well to celebrate Nigeria’s success in the competition. They will be following the footsteps of First Bank of Lagos achievement in the female version of the competition earlier in November in Mozambique. Meanwhile, in a report monitored on Facebook some basketball fans in Lagos have continued to support them with prayers to pick the bronze medal. Ajibared Bello, a board member of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), said the team had done well and should crown their efforts with bronze medal. He also said that Usman had been fantastic in the competition and that he had led the team exceptionally well. Femi Adefeso, a sports analyst, described Usman’s exploits as awesome and wished the team success. “Usman is a legend, he gives so much to the team and as a result he is one of the best, his being one of the best in the competition has not come as a surprise,’’ Adefeso said.