National Basketball League

Women: KIU v Angels

Men: UCU v Ndejje

The KIU Titans expect to be in the 2023 NBL Finals.

That view has not been altered by the events of the National Basketball League (NBL) opening day at Lugogo.

"We have to be in the finals," KIU supremo Nasser Sserunjogi told New Vision Sport following KIU's 79-51 humbling by the City Oilers on Sunday.

"We didn't have a good day, but what gives me comfort is the players we have. We have the pieces to be successful, we just needed a point guard against the Oilers."

A high-level point guard is probably not all the Titans were missing in their one-sided defeat to the Oilers, but his presence would have made a measure of difference.

Sserunjogi says they have signed a player from DR Congo, who is expected to address their needs at the point guard spot, although the club are not yet sure how good he really is.

What is clear is the Oilers are in ominous shape after a classy performance that saw many of their new signings make seamless NBL debuts.

Titus Odeke (20 points & 14 rebounds), Michael Ngut (15 pts), and Fayed Bbaale (11 pts and eight assists) all seemed like long-term Oilers rather than players on maiden NBL outings for the eight-time champions.

By contrast, Hamisi Saidi managed 11 points, Peter Obleng eight, and Innocent Ochera two.

KIU will have better days, but contending for the title against this version of the Oilers will take a massive improvement from the Kansanga-based side.

On the other hand, losing a season-opener says little about where a club will finish, as the Oilers' historical poor record in the affair shows.

Sserunjogi says the issue is not the defeat but the performance.

"We didn't expect the performance," says Sserunjogi. "It was a disaster. It is one thing to lose, and another to lose by such a margin. Playing the way we played is totally unacceptable."

KIU have plenty of time to make amends.