NIGERIA

Roster: G Tony Skinn, F Ekene Ibekwe, F Ike Diogu, F Al-Farouq Aminu, G Ade Dagunduro, G Chamberlain Oguchi, F Koko Archibong, G Richard Oruche, F Ejike Ugboaja, F Derrick Obasohan, C Alade Aminu, C Olumide Oyedeji

Coach: Ayo Bakare. He coaches the Ebun Comets in Nigeria's pro league. He also coached Nigeria's national team in the mid-1990s and early-2000s before Nigeria used to American coaches (Sam Vincent and Robert McCullum).

Qualification: Finished third by beating the Dominican Republic at Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Venezuela in July.

Best Olympic finish: First Olympics

Players you know: F Al-Farouq Aminu, who played college ball at Wake Forest, averaged six points and 4.7 rebounds for the New Orleans Hornets last season. … PG Tony Skinn played on the George Mason team that reached the Final Four in 2006. Skinn, who has spent his professional career in France, Italy and Germany, averaged 10 points and 2.8 assists in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. … F Ike Diogu, who played at Arizona State and averaged six points for six teams in six NBA seasons, averaged 16.8 points and 10.8 rebounds in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. … F Alade Aminu, Al-Farqouq's brother, played at Georgia Tech and has spent last season playing in France. F Ekene Ibekwe played at Maryland.

Expert Analysis: The key with Nigeria and the reason they had success in the Qualifying Tournament is that they play very, very hard and with passion and energy on defense. Diogu is an NBA-level player. Al-Farouq Aminu is certainly an NBA player. They're not going to medal, but they played their win in on the basis of toughness and team chemistry. The Nigerian players I've been around have a fierceness about them. They just play very confidently. They're very quick to the ball. They get all those 50-50 balls. They play very loose. Diogu has done a nice job down low. Their guard play has been good. They're a fun team to watch because of the way they attack and they play very free.

LITHUANIA

Roster: G Rimantas Kaukenas, G Mantas Kalnietis, F Jonas Maciulis, G Martynas Pocius, F Darius Songaila, F Linas Kleiza, F Paulius Jankunas, G Sarunas Jasikevicius, F Simas Jasaitis, C Jonas Valanciunas, C Antanas Kavaliauskas, G Renaldas Seibutis

Coach: Kestutis Kemzura. He played professionally in Lithuania, and after his playing career, he coached in Turkey, Lithuania, Russia and Italy. He was Latvia's national coach before taking Lithuania national team job in 2009.

Qualification: Advanced to finals of Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Venezuela in July.

Best Olympic finish: Bronze in 1992, 1996, 2000

Players you know:Toronto Raptors forward Linas Kleiza (Missouri) averaged 19 points and seven rebounds in the 2010 world championship but a knee injury kept him out of the 2011 European championship in Lithuania. … Guard Sarunas Jasikevicius (Maryland) averaged 9.5 points and 4.6 assists in 2011 European championship and forward Darius Songaila (Wake Forest) averaged 8.4 points and three rebounds in the 2011 European championship.

Expert Analysis: They're coming off a downer. They hosted the European Championship a year ago and ended up finishing a disappointing fifth. There's redemption involved for them. Their team right now has a bunch of solid European level players but for them to have a chance to medal, it has to be about Linas Kleiza. He's healthy. He's capable of being a scoring threat for them. Kleiza is Lithuania's Andrei Kirilenko (of Russia). A little different style obviously, but Kleiza was one of the top players in the world championships. They had a great run to semifinals and they won the bronze. Kleiza was hurt last year, now he's back. He's healthy. He's a proven NBA talent . … It will be a great sneak peek at Valanciunas who was taken fifth in the 2011 NBA Draft and likely would have been the second player taken in this year's draft behind Anthony Davis. He is a pure low-post center with the requisite nastiness to make a quick adjustment to the NBA despite his age."

~Royal~:
Lithuania is going to destroy Nigeria

Ayo Team Australia Women's Basketball Coach is the Ugliest White Biitch I have Ever Seen in my Entire Fhhucking Life

Ugliest White Biitch to Ever Breath Oxygen on Earth. Tv Announcers kept calling that biitch a Man

morpheus24:

Oh you still mad we beat Puerto rico. sob sob. Maybe next time.

Ejiné: Bia, we have an "Al Farouq Aminu" in our squad?

Well, let's just hope he won't be busy collecting bribes before he can perform.

Lithuania... This is the first time I'm ever hearing of such a place.

Ejiné: Lithuania... This is the first time I'm ever hearing of such a place.

logica: Except you are joking; this revelation shouldn't have been public.

Mr.chippychappy:
What time would the game be played ?

donigspain:
Am really pissed over some of the decisions of the boxing judges as it relates black African boxers. For instance, both the Ghanaian and Botswana boxers did great and even the commentators confirmed it but I was shocked to see the judges rule otherwise. Even the commentator openly criticized the results saying that he TOTALLY disagree with the judgement.

Ejiné: Bia, we have an "Al Farouq Aminu" in our squad?

Well, let's just hope he won't be busy collecting bribes before he can perform.

Lithuania... This is the first time I'm ever hearing of such a place.

Koikoi: missed the game! Pls, what was the scoreline?

Dis Guy:

they've not played it yet, it's tomorrow Nigerian time 2.30pm

Koikoi: missed the game! Pls, what was the scoreline?

Ejiné:
Lithuania... This is the first time I'm ever hearing of such a place.

ferhyntorlah:

Wow! That is all I can say. I'm sure you've never heard of Cook Island, Christmas Island, Easter Island, Tonga, Kiribati, Nauru, Vanuatu, Fiji, Mongolia, Maldives and the list goes on.

semid4lyfe:

2.30pm Nigerian Time

Ejiné:
What I meant was that in a game of this particular nature, this is the first time I'm hearing of them.
Kinda like saying in a game of football, I barely hear of countries like India.