Newly promoted Division One side, Riara University ‘Bucks’ have signed three play-makers to boost the team’s push for the Premier League.
According to coach Zedekiah ‘Zeddy’ Ong’ang’o, the trio—Philip Tobby, Ian Mwindu (KCITI Mustangs) as well as Rick Ochieng (Kisumu)—will play a key role in the side’s quest for honours.
Ong’ang’o also confirmed that Edwin Ochieng, who suffered a career-threatening injury in last year’s playoffs against Coastal Kings in Mombasa, has fully recovered and is already back in training.
Ochieng’s return and the arrival of Peter Mabut, straight from High school, is a huge boost to the varsity side who have their eyes set on the playoffs in only their first year.
“I have filled the point guard position since losing two key players in Joseph Gitau and Tony Kipruto to newly-promoted Stanbic Bank,” he revealed.
The tactician, in his fourth year at Riara, said the new signings have already settled well into the side and will help drive the team forward.
“Currently, we meet online every week as I monitor their daily workouts and training programs. We should be ready to roll once we are allowed to play,” he said.
He revealed that before the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, Riara were top in Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) Nairobi South league with one loss and two games to play.
The team had also reached the semi-finals of the National University Basketball League, where they were set to meet Strathmore University.
Riara beat Coastal Kings 3-2 in the best of five-game series to claim the title after tying 1-1 in the opening matches played at Nyayo Stadium gymnasium in Nairobi. The ‘Bucks’ joined the Nairobi Basketball Association (NBA), provincial league, in 2014 and played for two seasons before moving to Kenya Basketball Association.
