Basketball in Africa

Kampala. As champions, one would expect Heathens to show up with mercurial displays week in week out. But they have looked off song this campaign so far.

They are yet to play like the side that lifted the league last year, but they have a chance to start over again when they host struggling Warriors.

“The draw against Pirates was a wake up call for us, but we are taking every game more serious,” captain Michael Wokorach told Daily Monitor.

Maximum points for Heathens will see them go top of the table as leaders Kobs play 24 hours later against Impis. But Wokorach thinks the season is still long and a lot will happen in the coming weeks.

Today at Kyadondo

Hima Heathens vs Warriors 5pm

United States International University- Africa (USIU-A) won game two of the women's Premier League semifinal playoffs 46-45 on Sunday to tie the best-of-five series with Equity Bank.
On Saturday, Equity won game one 64-57 after coming back from 29-38 down at halftime. USIU-A won 19-18 and 19-11 in the first two quarters. But, the bankers rallied in the second half to win 21-6 and 14-13.
Samba Mjomba was the top scorer for Equity with 22 points while Sarah Chan replied with 13 for the students.
OIn the second game, USIU-A overcome a poor start in first half to narrowly win and get back into contention. Head coach George Mayienga welcomed the slim but important win. “We needed any type of a win today,” he told Sports News Arena.
The first quarter was uncharacteristic of the league champions as they could not find the rim with ease. Chan was guilty of missing many attempted shots including two free shots. Angela Okoth also missed two free shots in the quarter and teamwork was lacking from the students.
Mjomba did good rebounding for Equity as they took a 2-0 lead before tying 2-2. Equity then went on a 12-0 scoring run to lead 14-2 with just over six minutes played. They had the biggest lead of 14 points at 18-4 and won the quarter 20-9.
With four minutes played in second quarter, Equity held steady to their 14-points lead at 23-9. They remained consistent after six minutes leading 25-11 then extended to 16 points at 27-11 which was their biggest lead of the quarter.
In the closing three minutes, USIU-A brought their “A” game to counter the free-scoring bankers. Cynthia Irankunda scored five points and Chan made four as USIU-A went on a 13-0 scoring run to cut the deficit to three points at 24-27.
The students won the second quarter 15-9 as Equity led 29-24 at halftime.
The turning point
Three successive turnovers from Mjomba, Denise Apondi and Linda Mfuchi in the first two minutes of the third quarter gave USIU-A the with Chan scoring four points and Georgia Adhiambo adding two. It brought the students to within a point of the bankers at 30-31.
Cynthia Irankunda then fired a three-pointer with 5:00 on the clock to tie the scores 33-33. A free shot from Angela Okoth gave USIU-A a 34-33 lead and extended to 39-33. USIU-A won the quarter 15-8 for a two-point lead of 39-37 going to fourth quarter.
Within five minutes of fourth quarter, the scores tied 42-42 after Eleanor Musundi made two free shots for Equity. Musundi then scored a basket to give the bankers a 44-42 lead but Irankunda tied 44-44.
Okoth scored a basket for USIU-A to break the tie and Equity could only manage a free shot as they won the quarter 8-7.
Mayienga said the turnaround in second half was as a result of good pressure management by his players. “We were not prepared for this one. After playing a lousy game on Saturday, the girls were under pressure. When you put them under pressure, they play badly and that was the case in first half,” he noted.
The coach added: “At halftime, I just told them to play easy and ease the pressure.”
Masaku Sparks benefited from a 20-0 walkover against Ulinzi Blades.
Co-operative Bank finished fifth in men's Premier League after beating Equity Bank 55-46 in their ranking game. Titus Musembi top scored for Co-op Bank with 11 points while Enock Ogecha scored 13 for Equity.
Blades came seventh with a 20-0 walkover against Nakuru Club.

In the 1990s, the Malinga brothers (Henry and Eric) and the Blicks (Norman and Donald) were the flagship siblings of basketball.
They achieved a lot and set the ball rolling for another set of siblings, the Enabus, who have since made the basketball court their own.
The Enabus (six brothers and a sister) share nine national basketball championships amongst them.

Face-to-face with the ball
Maurice Enabu, the eldest, introduced the game to his younger siblings. At Kabojja Secondary School, he learnt the art of playing basketball and slowly imparted it to the rest.
Dennis followed suit and before long, Mark joined. However, Maurice and Dennis soon left for Canada. Mark was now an upcoming star. He put in a lot of hard work and joined local basketball giants, DMark Power.

At Power, he kept working hard and became the first in the family to win the national basketball league championship in 2008. That became the catalyst for more hard work from the other youngsters.
Behind Mark, Ivan was in quick pursuit at Entebbe-based Knight Riders, which he led to promotion. In the top flight, a young Ivan mesmerised both players and fans with his mazy dribbles and mature ball-handling skills.
The stage was now set for greatness, many predicted. Before long, UCU Canons snapped him on a study scholarship.

After leading Uganda to the 2005 Zone V Championships and being named MVP, Ivan was lured to the Mukono-based institution in 2006 and started playing for their senior team a year later.
Jimmy made his league debut in 2007 with Knight Riders. Emma joined him later. Their time to shine came after Knight Riders’ relegation. They became its stars and led it back to the top division before moving on; Jimmy joined Ivan at UCU while Emma crossed to Power.

“Yes, we learnt from our older brothers but basically, Knight Riders gave us the perfect start. Being young boys from Entebbe, we found it easy to train there and showcase our talent. It was in our neighbourhood and it made everything easy,” remarks Jimmy, the most decorated of all, with four league championships.
However, things did not go well for Ivan and Jimmy at UCU. There is no doubt they turned the university side into one of the biggest teams in the men’s elite league, but they failed to lead it past the semi-final hurdle on three occasions. They thus left in 2011. Ivan joined Warriors while Jimmy joined Power.

“For me, it was basically about moving on. I had given UCU my all and besides, I had achieved my main dream with them - graduating with a Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) degree. So I needed to look for more challenges on the court and also grow into my professional career,” says Ivan.
Whereas Ivan and Jimmy were looking for their first championship, their younger brother, Emma, had already won one with Power in 2010.
Their sister, Evelyn, had also won the women’s league with UCU Lady Canons in 2008.

Brother-turned-opponent
When Ivan and Jimmy left UCU for Warriors and Power, respectively, they were searching for their first league silverware. At Power, Jimmy teamed with Emma to devastating effect.
They became every basketball fan’s joy to watch. Their speed at shooting guard and point guard, respectively, left opponents quaking and made the fans cheer thunderously. That year (2011), the duo helped Power to defend its trophy.
It was Jimmy’s first but Emma’s second. Ironically, they faced Ivan’s Warriors in the finals. The press hyped it as a battle of the Enabu brothers.

“It had never happened before for us to meet in such a high profile match. In fact, it was a whole series and it all felt crazy. Ivan and I were searching for our first championship while Emma was looking for his second and each of us was braced for it, like all our lives depended on it. It put us all in a tight corner. Just imagine plotting against your brother,” said Jimmy.
December 18, 2011 was D-Day. After six energy-sapping encounters of the best-of-seven finals series, the three brothers faced off in the winner-takes-it-all game at YMCA, Wandegeya. Power won 99-97 to stretch Ivan’s long wait for a championship.

“It is very painful. I can’t find the right words to tell you how I am feeling this night. Extremely painful,” he told this reporter, then. His sacrifice to play through groin and ankle injuries had produced no fruits. His eyes were teary and when his brothers came to hug him, he looked the odd man out.
“Last week, however, I reminded him of that night. In his trademark soft voice way, he said: “It was crazy but in the end I was happy for them. They had worked hard for it and hard work pays, that is a fact. It (losing to them) also gave me courage to work hard and I ended up landing my hands on the trophy in 2012.”

End of the pain

Arguably the best point guard of his generation, Ivan will never forget the 2012 season when his Warriors beat Falcons in the finals. Finally, after many years of trying, he was a champion.
“Yes, finally I have got it and now I also have a voice in the house,” he said, with a wide smile.
Ivan’s championship brought the Enabus’ total collection to five. However, some critics have argued that ever since he got what he wanted (the championship) his game has slowed down.
“They have every right to judge. Currently, career comes first and ‘ball comes second. So there’s no way one should expect me to keep playing like a teenager,” adds Ivan, who currently works as a Franchise Manager at Jibu Mineral Water.

At the start of the 2013 season, Jimmy ditched Power for newcomers City Oilers and led it to glory in its maiden year. In winning the trophy, Oilers had set a record of being the first team to win the league during its first year in the top flight. He then guided them to its defence in 2014 for his third medal and also got named the league MVP.

“The hunger to win still remains the same. When we won the first (with Oilers in 2013), I realised that if we put in lots of effort and keep working hard, the sky would be the limit for this team,” says Jimmy, the team captain. Oilers became the second team after Falcons (2002, 2003, 2004) to win the title three times in a row.
“Now I can look back and say ‘I am getting there’” Jimmy says, with a smile.

National team exploits
Every sportsman dreams of playing for their national teams. Ivan led the Silverbacks (men’s national team) to the 2005 Zone V Championships. But it is Jimmy who has played at the highest level, representing Uganda in the AfroBasket Championships in Tunisia in August 2015.
“It felt good and I learnt a lot. Playing at continental level was a dream come true. The intensity was overwhelming. Maybe I can get another chance and play at the same tournament again in future. I will also work for it,” he adds.

The Kenya Basketball Federation has discontinued the Conference format after only one season.
This is one of the changes which will be made to the KBF league this yeat.  During a recent team managers meeting at the Nyayo National Stadium. During the meetinge, a presentation from a professional sports marketing company Arrix Media observed the previous seasons had too many teams.
As a result, it was difficult to manage the league which was also too long and as a result the quality compromised. The meeting adopted recommendations by Arrix Media to have the men's Premier League limited to 12 teams and the women's Premier League 10.
Also, a new tier will be created for both men and women's leagues to absorb teams which were relegated.
Women's division one will have 10 teams; three relegated from the Premier League and seven promoted from Nairobi Basketball Association (NBA).
Men's division one will have 12 teams; six relegated from the Premier League and six remaining in the lower division. Teams relegated from division one will form division two that has 12 teams.
Under the new changes, there will be three competitions running throughout the year. Summer League will be held between January and March comprising of eight teams with one coming from NBA.
There will be a draft process for selecting participating players. The National League will then run from April to October with Kenya Cup being held between November and December.
There will be three tiers for the Kenya Cup knock-out tournament; Premier League, Nationwide League and Division One.
A lot will be at stake because the overall winner will qualify for Fiba Zone 5 championship as the second team to represent Kenya.
There is also a huge reprieve for teams that opt to sign many foreigners after team managers set aside the clause limiting number of foreign players eligible to play in the local league.
The meeting also agreed to re-introduce the clause allowing players’ special transfer on grounds of employment and scholarship while issues concerning international transfers shall be guided by Fiba rules.
2016 KBF League Teams
Men's Premier League: Ulinzi Warriors, USIU-A, KPA, Thunder, Co-op Bank, Blades, Nakuru Club, Equity Bank, Strathmore University, Lions, KCA-U, Upper Hill School.
Women's Premier League: KPA, USIU-A, Equity Bank, Co-op Bank, Strathmore University, Masaku Sparks, Ulinzi Blades, Storms, Western Delight, Eagle Wings.
Men' Division One: Umoja, KU Pirates, Zetech University, Terror, KAA, Nairobi Aviation College, Trailblazers, Barclays Bank, JKUAT, ANU, Eldonets, 4-Christ.
Women's Division One:  KCA-U, Kisumu Lady Bucks, KU Oryx, Zetech University, Gladiators, Kaya Tiwi High School, Strathmore University, Daystar University, Egerton University, Eldonets.
Men's Division Two: Baraka Xtreme, MKU Thika, World Hope, Lakeside, Blazers, EMYBA, Don Bosco, Little Prince, Zetech University, Egerton University, USIU-A, Riara University.

Long term, the biggest positive for basketball in the country, all factors constant, should be the start of the Fuba-NBA Junior League whose inaugural season tipped off at the end of May.

The tournament whose initial project is expected to last four years is aimed at player development and consists of players aged 12-15.

A total of 30 schools across Kampala and Wakiso took part with Mashariki High Pelicans winning the first edition, defeating KISU Bucks 66-51 in the final graced by Miami small forward two time NBA All-Star Luol Deng.

Many will hope for the emergence of more players like Mashariki guard Fayed Baale who emerged MVP.n the low side, the fraternity has lost three players. First UPDF Tomahawks’ Michael Samora died following a road accident while KCCA Leopards’ Mariah Nakayima’s sudden death shocked many.