Albert Odero AKA Kenya Airways
I caught some FIBA AfroBasket action & liked what I saw from Albert Odero, take a look at my analysis below.
Who is Albert Odero?
Albert Odero is a young man who put Africa on notice in the 2021 AfroBasket Tournament, representing his home country of Kenya he averaged 14 PPG & shot 54.5% from the field. Back on the continent playing for his Kenyan National team he is continuing to make a name for himself. When analyzing his game you will see an ultra bouncy, downhill slasher who has the skill to pull-up on a dime. He has impeccable footwork constantly using his feet to get to his hot spots on the floor. To me, his swing skill is his perimeter shooting, the shot from 15 is clean & fluid. Though he sustained a nasty wrist injury in 2021-22, I will be looking to see if he can make shots from range with more volume during this qualifying window.
Note that this wrist injury withheld him from competing in the 2022 BAL Season 2 & 3. Keep an eye out for him as a potential sleeper pickup in this upcoming 2024 BAL Season 4
Why players like Odero are important for the next generation
Odero represents a large contingent of American, British & Australian born African descendants who have the desire to represent their mother countries on the African stage. The South Sudanese National team has integrated their foreign born natives & SSD born refugees into their national team, leading to immense success. Currently ranked #1 in Africa by FIBA & looking to make noise in their 1st ever appearance in the upcoming 2024 Olympics. Though it can be a difficult process to certify player, guys like Odero inspire young African hoopers who grow up across the water & want to represent their roots.
The Film Never Lies
As stated earlier, Odero & the Kenyan Morans are currently competing for an AfroBasket birth. Though they have faced some early struggles their stumbling blocks are nothing a few strategic adjustments can’t fix!
I’ve recently been studying Bill Self’s offensive philosophy & a key component to Kansas’ success is his players “1 on 1” ability to get to the rim. Slice & dice it however you want, the goal of offense is to create an advantage. Odero gets to the basket with ease, at 6’4 he showcases a tight yo-yo handle & great footwork he can get to his spots.
Another key component to his offensive game is his midrange pull-up, Odero is completely comfortable rising over defenders if lanes are filled & has the touch to make shots from essentially anywhere inside the arc.
As the #1 focus of most scouting reports, Albert does a good job of making the simple play. Not only breeding confidence in his guys but forcing help defenders to be honest so that when he does attack he has proper space.
Odero has continued to show his promise in the early stages of this qualifying tournament, look for more moments from him this upcoming week.
Showed absolutely no fear going up against two of Africa’s top teams early