Germaine Roebuck Jr. will only play if needed, says City Oilers head coach Mandy Juruni

Germaine Roebuck Jr. will be available if required /COURTESY PICTURE

BASKETBALL Germaine Roebuck Jr. will only play if needed, says City Oilers head coach Mandy Juruni

Ndyamuhaki J Emanzi 13:36 - 09.06.2023

Having gone on an 11-0 run in the first round, and considering the embarrassment of riches at Oilers, the addition of the forward can be equated to using missiles to solve a minor family dispute.

With the end of the mid-season transfer window in sight, teams in the National Basketball League are doing everything in their power to close deals.

The second half of the season will tip off on June 16 with defending champions City Oilers facing off with Namuwongo Blazers.

The two sides are expected to make some additions to their rosters before the second round, and City Oilers are the first team to have made a move already.

Mandy Juruni’s charges have added small forward Germaine Roebuck Junior to their roster, and the American-born will be legible to play in the local league.

Roebuck Jr. featured for Oilers in the recently concluded Basketball Africa League and averaged 13 points and seven rebounds before limping off in the crucial clash with Cape Town Tigers.

Having gone on an 11-0 run in the first round, and considering the embarrassment of riches at Oilers, the addition of the forward can be equated to using missiles to solve a minor family dispute.

Oilers have won eight championships in a row but had to suffer a bit before edging Namuwongo Blazers in last year’s finals.

Injuries to Ivan Lumanyika and Jimmy Enabu left the eight-time champions in a spot of bother.

And this time round, there is no taking chances.

Juruni told Pulse Sports that Roebuck Jr. will only play if he is needed.

The 6-foot-5-inch forward is currently in the US, and Oilers might not require his services until the playoffs.

“We also have Hakim (Abdihakim Ghedi) on our list, but he never plays,” Juruni said when asked about Roebuck Jr.

Oilers recruited Titus Lual, Fayed Baale, Michael Ngut and Edrine Walujjo to bolster their roster in the chase of a ninth straight championship.

Teaming up with the seasoned campaigners at the club, the new recruits have made the made unplayable for the rest of the field, and Roebuck Jr.’s addition will clear any doubts about title number nine.