Mutoro: There is room for improvement
Barry Silah @obel_barry
Kenya national basketball team stalwart Eric Mutoro believes that the team has a chance to improve despite having a solid run in the Afro-Basketball Championships..
Earlier in the year, the Morans finished runners-up in the Fiba AfroCan Basketball tournament in Mali after losing 61-82 to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It is this impressive showing in the inaugural continental showpiece that is giving Mutoro confidence of a stronger push in the next edition of the championships.
Coach Cliff Owuor’s charges outlasted South Sudan 74-68 in the finals of the Fiba AfroBasket Pre-Qualifiers held at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium late last year and Mutoro also believes that the energy levels of the team is a factor that they need to take full advantage of.
“We have a solid squad of players that have played together for so long. As it is, we might not need too much in terms of change, so really the strategy for us remains the same,” said Mutoro.
“We can always maintain the push as a unit and that consistency is what is important for us.
The team in my view looks good but there is always room for improvement and of course our target is winning the African title.
“We are a very young squad on the overall and chemistry is a rich part of our DNA and we want to continue pushing the gears because we are a much focused lot,” said Mutoro who also revealed the team has been training in isolation for the past three weeks.
Mutoro who also captains the Ulinzi Warriors basketball team believes that the Morans simply have to gas out opponents.
“Certainly we have players who can run the floor and we just must be aggressive.
Looking at most of the teams we have played, their stamina dies out in the third quarter and final quarter which gives us the advantage because of our power.
Our court dominance and technical abilities is what we need to maintain to be better,” added the Kenya Defence Forces officer.
Meanwhile, the 28-year-old shooting guard has high expectations that once the Ulinzi Sports Complex based in Langata Barracks is complete, sporting disciplines like basketball would greatly benefit from the facilities that will be put up there.
