The City Oilers will be facing their toughest test of the season so far as they take on the KIU Titans in a repeat of the 2023 Finals.

The City Oilers were pushed to the edge against the Ndejje Angels, managing to win by 8 but it was visible to all that the game could have gone either way.

The winning margin for the Oilers has also been reducing gradually from 35, 34, 25 and now 8. Will the margin become even less? Will it become negative? All that depends on many factors.

The KIU Titans lost their first game against Namuwongo Blazers but with a very spirited fight.

Things turned for the better on their side, handing the UCU Canons a serious 83:52 beating and an easy 73:53 victory against Kampala Rockets.

The KIU Titans lost the series 4:2 during the 2023 finals and have since made multiple signing to help them win their first title.

The City Oilers haven’t made many changes bar a few new signings, Benjamin Kawumi, Rogers Dauna and Malual Dier but all make impacts off the bench as they are yet to fully fit into the system.

Top Matchups

Fayed Baale vs Joel Lukoji

This was the most epic battle on the floor during the 2023 Finals and it’s the most anticipated battle for the fans.  Joel and Fayed are the most electrifying ball handlers who easily beat defenders with a lot of trickery and a touch of finesse.

Their basketball IQ is also off the charts and can easily create something out of nothing to help their team win.

During the finals, Joel won the hearts of the fans while Fayed won the title, who gets what this time round?

Titus Lual vs Mpiya Juf

Both possess significant height and size and the reigning MVP, Titus Lual, will want to dominate in the paint just like he did against Ndejje Angels.

He recorded his season high 17 points, 9 rebounds and a season high 4 blocks.

Mpiya Juf hasn’t exerted his dominance yet, averaging 7.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 2 APG. He will be hoping to put on a show in the battle against the reigning MVP in the Paint and hopefully it can awaken the beast in him.

He should also be taking notes from Ndejje’s Christian Ndibu who recorded 20 points and 21 rebounds and given that they are all Congolese, they can easily share knowledge and experiences.

Edgar Munaba vs James Okello

Veteran James Okello will be going against the upcoming star Edgar Munaba who just got his first call up to the National team.

Edgar has been a force in the 2 games he has played for the KIU Titans averaging 17 points, 14.5 rebounds but most importantly making his presence felt on the court. He has also added a bit of shooting in his game, he made 3 3-point shots against the UCU Canons and this makes him a very big threat.

He will be facing James Okello who has been around the block for a while and his experience, he is expected to silence the upcoming star. James has averaged 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists this season.

This battle will be key as it will determine who will become more dominant in the interior.

3-point Shooting

The Oilers and the Titans have some of the most lethal shooters in the league. Fayed Baale made 5 3-point shots against Ndejje and he has 48.4%, while Ivan Muhwezi and Tony Drileba all in the top 10, have 39.1% and  38.5% respectively.

Titans’ Ahmed Kassa has made 7 of them and has 38.9 % while Tembo Kasereka has made 8 on 21.6%. Despite his low percentage from deep, Tembo compensates with a 47.6 % from 2P. He also has very active hands with 2.7 SPG.

Bench Points

KIU Titans average 17 points from the bench whereas Oilers average 25. During the game against Nam Blazers, the KIU bench contributed just 9 points and vs Ndejje, Oilers bench contributed just 18. The bench points contributed in those games are far less compared to other games against weaker opposition.

This is down to the reduced number of minutes for the bench players and thus they have to be very efficient when called upon.

Both squads are very deep and the bench players have the ability to win the game for the team. The Oilers shall be expecting the return of Mer Maker.

Ability to assist

The KIU Titans made a record 26 assists vs UCU Canons, they also made 21 vs the Kampala Rockets and this shows how much the team chemistry has improved and also the ability to create for others.

The City Oilers had 20 against the Ndejje Angels and 21 against JKL Dolphins and given the time spent together, team chemistry is not in question. Can they create more opportunities for others? They have shown that they can in the past and this season they average 18 assists per game.

Whichever team creates more easy attempts for their players shall have an edge given that bith teams have really high Field Goal efficiencies and the margin of error is tiny.

All in all

Yes, the KIU Titans can get the win but it will not be a walk in a park for them.

The Oilers are a such a ferocious team and once squeezed in a corner, they always find a way out and get the last laugh.

The KIU Titans will however have to win the individual battles and get the team strategy right if they are to have a chance against the defending champions. If they have an advantage earlier in the game, they have to just finish off the Oilers otherwise things could get early late in the game.