In 2017, the KIU Titans made their maiden NBL finals by defeating Warriors in the semi finals. Their waiting opponent, the City Oilers then looking to defend the NBL title they’d won five straight times before. The Titans challenge then, was promptly ended with a 4 -0 sweep. Fast forward to 2023, the Oilers are looking to defend the NBL title for the ninth straight time and once again, Titans have the daunting task of ending their decade long reign in a best of seven NBL Finals series. Success in the NBL finals is ever becoming very important specially because the champion is in practice tipped to represent Uganda in the very sought after Basketball Africa League(BAL).
Whereas FUBA announced that winning the title will not determine Uganda’s BAL candidate, a dynamic that saw potential challengers Namuwongo Blazers in an unprecedented fashion opt out of the NBL playoffs, this finals will most probably be about franchise pedigree. The Oilers with not much resistance from Our Savior swept their way to the finals in a best of five semi finals series. Our Savior having completed the regular season in seventh spot would have had to clash with Blazers at the quarter finals stage and perhaps quite frankly, the Blazers decision to opt out of the playoffs denied us a repeat of the 2022 finals clash at the Final Four stage. Oilers versus Blazers would have been one for the books. KIU Titans equally cruised through the semis defeating UCU Canons. The Canons overcame the threat of near relegation to claim a playoffs spot but fell short against the Titans. Their attempt to a comeback fell short by a point (75-74) in game three when Peter Sifuma failed to secure a clean look coming out of a time out with 7 seconds to play.
In January 2023, I discussed the Eminent power Shift in Ugandan basketball and I pitted the Titans to Challenge the Oilers to the 2023 NBL Championship. Since then, Oilers and Titan have faced off twice in the regular season. In the season opener, Oilers humiliated Titans in a one sided affair (79-51). Their second round encounter was much too different yet produced the same results – an Oilers victory but this time settled in overtime after 66-66 at the end of 40 minutes.
In 2017, Saidi ‘Carmelo’ Amisi was on the Warriors squad that fell to KIU in the semi finals and last season, Amisi was an important piece for the Namuwongo Blazers as they fell to the Oilers in an epic game seven of the NBL Finals. The Oilers are way too a familiar opponent for Melo who is averaging a 16.4ppg this season. Since the second round, Titans added Denis Balungu (13ppg) to their roaster. Interestingly, the shooting guard is no stranger to Oilers in the finals having been part of the Titans back in 2017 finals. The rest of the cast; Joel Banza, Edgar Munaba, Obleng Peter, Joe Chuma , Stanley Mugerwa, Innocent Ochera, Collin Kasujja (played in the 2022 finals vs Oilers with Namuwongo Blazers), Isaiah Ater Mabeny(played in the 2019 NBL finals for the UCU Canons) and Okoth Henry will have to bring their A-game.
When they last played the Titans in the NBL Finals, the Oilers had veteran Stephen Omony and Landry Ndikumana among their ranks. But I can count several players that were on that squad that are still pivotal on the Oilers team today. Tony Drileba, Jimmy Enabu, Ben Komakech, James Okello and Ivan Muhwezi. With the experience obtained from playing in numerous high level competitions in Africa, the Oilers have fashioned themselves into the ultimate NBL finals machine. Nine straight Finals is absolutely insane. While Oilers can boast about their exploits in Africa and being familiar with the NBL Finals, their greatest asset is hunger in their newbies. Titus Lual, the silverbacks stretch forward signed from UCU is a menace and so is his counterpart, the point guard Fayed Bbale. Both have never won the NBL title though themselves challenged the same organization they put on for now in the 2019 NBL Finals while with UCU Canons. The duo has been promised the keys to the kingdom and inducted in the Oilers winning culture. Ruai Luak is having an insane season with a 13ppg this season, the most on Oilers for a team that shares the offensive load. South Sudan imports Mer Maker (11.5ppg & 9rpg) and Michael Ngot are also available to the Oilers.
It is the combination of hunger in their new players, the depth in their roaster and the vast experience that makes the Oilers such a tough opponent locally.
But basketball is a game of 5 aside. Both teams have the quality for a grand finals showdown; eventually, it will come down to the X and Os – and which team makes the least mistakes in any particular game. Julius Lutwama will be coaching for the first time at this stage as head coach for the KIU Titans against a seasoned Mandy Juruni who has won the Uganda NBL title as coach, a record 9 times straight (with Warriors in 2012 and 2013 till to date with Oilers)! Only the COVID-19 lockdowns were able to stop Mandy Juruni from winning an NBL chip, a record Julius Lutwama intends to challenge. The Titans have seemingly had challenges with choosing a head tactician until they settled with Lutwama. Lutwama was assisting most of the head coaches before him. Those included Raymond Muhumuza and most recently Carrey Odhiambo.
Both Titans and Oilers have fans that make for an electric finals atmosphere but what’s murky is if this will be the end of the Oilers decade long grip on the Uganda NBL!
By Cucu Brian | brian@basketball256.net | Twitter: @Cucubrian
The views expressed herein are only the views of the author. Brian is an ardent Ugandan basketball follower, a basketball junkie and the founder of Basketball256 LLC.
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