Basket Hounds

ZIMBABWE’S Basket Hounds have had a fearsome bite in the country’s basketball scene. The man who has kept the Hounds’ teeth continuously razor-sharp and being a cut above the rest is club coach Tawanda Nemutambwe. In October, months after the Hounds won their second national domestic title, they will make another appearance at the Road to BAL.

Looking back at the Hounds’ debut tournament last year, held in the Zimbabwe capital, Harare, Nemutambwe says they were trying to find their feet.

“It was hard because we did not know what we were getting into. Everything, from preparation to scouting, we learnt on the go. Recovery was also hard for us because we did not get a rest day,” said Nemutambwe, whose team finished with a 2-3 record last year. “I think it was the hardest Road to BAL in our region (Zone 6). Going into this year’s tournament, we will do better. Our tactics and scouting will be better.”

Knowing the demands of African basketball, Nemutambwe, who coached Zimbabwe’s U18 men’s team during the 2024 age-group AfroBasket qualifiers, says players must maintain clean lifestyles. Another aspect he stresses to the players is being physically up to par with their opponents in the Road to BAL.

“We have spoken to them about taking care of their bodies… Not consuming alcohol or taking substances,” said Nemutambwe. “Going to the gym is another thing. It’s something we lack as a country. Our players don’t like to work out.

“With this group of players that has improved. They are putting in the work. It’s something I have been hammering since our first Road to BAL. I feel it has gotten better.”

Sharing his reflections on the domestic season, Nemutambwe says having the same group of players who retained the domestic championship last year was a key ingredient.

“Maintaining the core of our team was important for us. These are the same players who became part of the team when it started,” said Nemutambwe. “We have trained together and formulated a system that we trust and that works for us.”

Nemutambwe’s team recently tested themselves at the Bravehearts International Basketball Challenge in Malawi, where they fell to the host club, Bravehearts, in the semi-finals.

He says the tournament was to gauge themselves and where they were since winning the league championship.

“We wanted to see where we were because we had just got back to training. Some of the teams at the tournament (Bravehearts and Matero Magic) are going to compete at the Road to BAL,” said Nemutambwe. “One of the takeaways from that tournament was our conditioning. We must work on that because the games we lost (in the BIBC) had a lot to do with conditioning.

“It’s something we noted. To get the results, we must pay attention to our conditioning.”

Namutambwe has a few weeks to tighten the nuts and bolts within his team. Going far on the Road to BAL requires clubs to be lean, mean and flawless machines. Or in the case of the Hounds, they will need a ferocious bite!