Nile Conference Recap + Diaspora Drop All-Nile Conference Awards
The second leg of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) just concluded with the Nile conference, and it has by far been the most competitive group yet.
After an intriguing first round of the Basketball Africa League, the Nile conference tipped off with everything basketball fans want: exciting NBA prospects, captivating narratives, and most importantly, great basketball.
Reigning champions Al Ahly showed their dominance by losing just one game and their talented yet balanced roster powered them to a first place finish.
Things got messy, as Al Ahly Ly and Bangui Sporting Club both boasted 3-3 records, but Al Ahly Ly’s star-studded roster hobbled to second place after multiple injuries forced them to retool their strategy.
Bangui Sporting Club showed tremendous resilience by transforming in front of our eyes from a controversy-ridden disorganized team to an organization with poise, pride and an identity. They’ll have to wait until the Sahara conference to know if they qualify for the playoffs.
The City Oilers leaned heavily on future Duke Blue Devil, Khaman Maluach, who had little help outside a few key players. Their 1-5 record was not enough to qualify for the playoffs.
There was so much talent in this conference and high performance made it difficult to narrow down the lists, but our team put together individual awards and an all-conference and honorable mention team featuring top performers from the Nile conference.
Nile All-Conference Team
Ehab Amin🇪🇬 — Al Ahly 🇪🇬
13.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 22.2 MPG
The hometown star of a balanced Al Ahly team, Ehab Amin showed up in all areas. The team was so good that just about everyone played limited minutes, which helped this team avoid some of the injury concerns that other teams faced while playing so many games in a short period of time. Amin assumed his usual responsibilities attacking the basket fiercely, spraying long-range shots and being a pest on defense. He even showed off his clutch ability, knocking down multiple buzzer-beating attempts.
Rolly Fula Nganga🇨🇩 — Bangui Sporting Club🇨🇫
20.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 46.8% 3PT, 7.8 3PA
Rolly Fula took his usual offensive production and turned it up several notches. The Congolese forward was lights out the entire week, hoisting almost eight three-pointers per game and knocking them down at a 50% clip up until the last couple games. He saved Bangui Sporting Club multiple times with his clutch shotmaking, including in a big win against Al Ahly Ly.
Thierry Darlan🇨🇫 — Bangui Sporting Club🇨🇫
17.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.0 BPG, 80% FT, 5.8 FTA
Thierry Darlan’s production and initiative were impossible to ignore. From the moment he arrived in Cairo, he looked focused on proving a point and he absolutely did, showcasing improved defense, rebounding and playmaking. He led the entire league in free throws made and attempted. The BAL gave Darlan the launchpad he was seeking, as he declared for the NBA draft after a 26-point, 14-rebound performance.
Khaman Maluach🇸🇸— City Oilers🇺🇬
17.8 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 2.8 BPG, 50.6% FG
Participating in the BAL Elevate program for the third consecutive year, Khaman Maluach did not disappoint. The closest he could get to a hometown team, the projected lottery pick effectively put the Oilers on his back. He blocked everything in sight and was dangerous around the rim. Maluach also showcased catch and shoot ability.
Jo Lual-Acuil🇸🇸— Al Ahly Ly🇱🇾
23 PPG, 10.5. RPG, 1.7 BPG, 64.2% FG
The injuries Al Ahly Ly experienced may have been the best thing for Jo Lual-Acuil’s production. With Pierre Jackson limited, the team’s coach shifted its offensive approach from a perimeter-focused one to an interior-focused strategy. The team fed Lual-Acuil and he responded in the best way possible, leading the conference in scoring and setting a new BAL record for most points in a game with 42. He showed underrated touch around the rim and out to the midrange.
Nile Player of the Year
Jo Lual-Acuil
Dominant when he got the ball, Lual Acuil produced at a highly efficient rate on both sides of the ball. He was also a handful on the boards, as the league’s second-leading rebounder.
Nile Defensive Player of the Year
Souleyman Diabate
As a small guard, Diabate was everywhere. He averaged 2.0 steals per game. 0.7 blocks per game and 4.3 of his 5.2 rebounds per game came on defense. He also had the best defensive rating (99.4) and defensive win shares (0.38)of all DPOY candidates.
Nile Newcomer of the Year
Jo Lual-Acuil
A successful first year in the BAL and the South Sudan national has already written himself into its history books.
Nile Coach of the Year
Francois Enyegue
Bangui Sporting Club’s third coach in less than a year was brought in last-minute but proved to be more than ready for the challenge. With no time to implement new, complex systems, Enyegue played to his team’s strengths while optimizing his strategy as games went on. He experimented with unconventional matchups, changed coverages and mixed up lineups when it made sense.
Nile Honorable Mention
Souleyman Diabate🇨🇮— Al Ahly Ly🇱🇾
11.5 PPG, 7.3 APG, 5.2 RPG, 2.3 SPG
Mark Lyons🇺🇸— Al Ahly🇪🇬
12.2 PPG, 4.8 APG, 2.3 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 1.8 TPG
Kevin Murphy Jr. 🇺🇸 — Al Ahly Ly🇱🇾
18.2 PPG, 4 RPG, 3.5 APG, 41.7% 3PT, 6.7 3PA per game
Patrick Rembert🇺🇸 — City Oilers🇺🇬
15.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4 APG, 1.5 TPG
Tony Mitchell Jr.🇺🇸 — Al Ahly🇪🇬
10.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.2 BPG