Ongwae tips Morans to do ‘something special’ at the Afrobasket

As Kenya prepares to make her return to the continental basketball scene after a 28-year absence, Kenya Morans’ forward Tylor Ongwae says with the right support, the team will do something special at the showpiece.

Kenya qualified for the 30th edition of the men’s basketball continental championship after beating 11-time Afrobasket title holder Angola in February. The country's best placing at the showpiece remains a fourth-place finish in 1993, when Kenya last featured in the Afrobasket as hosts.

“We have a really good squad this time around and we just need support and keep the good vibe going. Hopefully, the country will be open when we hit camp so we can get to have some friendly matches and have the fans supporting the team. Our group is special and we are going to do something special in Rwanda,” said Ongwae.

The Bakken-Bears (Denmark) forward says the rivalry amongst the current Morans’ players while they were in high school made them better players and they have used that same camaraderie to form a formidable squad for the national team.

“I am happy for our generation that we were able to end the 28-year wait. Going forward, we need to build on this and have that continuity in the national team. It is my hope that we will, as a country, wait another 30 years for our team to feature at the highest level in basketball. Player development is crucial at this point,” he added.

Ongwae was instrumental in Morans’ win over Angola, a win that handed the team a ticket to the biennial Afrobasket showpiece. He was determinant in Kenya’s most important win as his buzzer-beater mid-range jumper stunned Angola 74-73 to ensure Kenya a place at AfroBasket 2021. 

He was also named in the FIBA Africa Top 10 list of players after leading Morans with team-highs of 14.8 points and 4.2 assists and was the team's second leading-rebounder with 7.2 boards in the five games he played in the first and second qualification windows.