By
John Vianney Nsimbe
WEEKLY OBSERVER
Unlike before when the giants in the men's topflight basketball
league got off to flying starts, this season they have played
like they don't want to win the league title.
None is unbeaten. This, Ambrose Tashobya - local basketball
body, FUBA boss - says is down to the fact that "the
gulf between the other sides and the perennial giants has
been closed."
Current results lend credence to Tashobya's assertion.
Record champions Falcons have already lost twice in five
outings. Nkumba Marines and Sadolin Power have also lost
twice whilst UCU Canons have lost thrice.
Marines coach Timothy Odeke puts the improvement down to
the fact that "players [in the topflight] have matured
and are as good as those that dominated them."
Elsewhere, basketball coach Peter Mubanda argues that teams
are at par because many teams have varying strengths when
matched-up. "You'll find that Falcons has good big
men but average guards while Warriors is generally balanced;
then Power has good guards compared to their post men,"
Mubanda reasoned. "These variations can be an advantage
to either team in different games; that's why there has
been inconsistency in results."
Add to that the fact that not only the giants can afford
to hire trained coaches now. With local basketball having
15 coaches or thereabouts, teams now can engage the services
of an expert.
With KIU, Miracles, Falcons, Warriors, Marines, UCU and
Power scrambling for four playoff slots, fans can only rub
their hands in anticipatory relish. But even the league
debutantes: KCC Lions, Crane High and Gulu Hawks will have
something to say about it, as the latter showed in beating
Marines recently.
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