Basketball in Africa

Power’s Isaac Lugudde (R) beats UCU Canons star guard Sudi Ulanga to a lay-up last season. Power and UCU meet in the pick of the quarterfinal series. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA

Today is the opening Friday of this year’s Fuba Basketball League playoffs which will involve a mammoth 32 teams in all as the local governing body has introduced quarterfinals for the first time.

It marks the start of a momentous period geared towards deciding who wins the various championships across the four divisions; three men’s and one women’s. The scheduling that has DMark Power-UCU Canons and A1 Challenge-Gladiators opening the stage today has a basic pointer – this series is expected to be the closest.

The four teams finished season fourth and fifth in the respective men’s and women’s divisions at the end of the regular season a fortnight ago. The return to the Lugogo MTN Arena after two years away adds to the excitement. In finishing fourth, two-time defending champions Power ‘chose’ the tougher path, on paper. “Regular season things don’t matter now. This is playoffs,” Bernice Ankunda, the Power coach, threw a reminder our way.

Power cannot look too far ahead even if the ultimate target is to win a third successive title to take their tally to six and be as successful as Falcons, the record champions. “It’s important to take it one game at a time,” Ankunda said.