Ghana & Africa Champions: The weapon of the all-conquering University of Ghana basketball team

They beat their opponents 37-35 to defend their title and be presented with another opportunity to represent Ghana in the FASU games.

On their way to reaching the final, they destroyed Ghana Institute of Management Studies and Public Administration (GIMPA) 71-2 to send their opponents out in such a humiliating fashion.

Pulse Ghana Sports in its quest to find an answer to why the University of Ghana Basketball has been peerless on the domestic front and at the continental level drew closer to the coach of the team Baba Samori.

Coach Baba is an African-American who can trace his descent to Africa. He has a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History.

Coach Baba Samori has been the brain behind the success story of the University of Ghana Basketball Team. His technical acumen is an asset that makes his team standout.

It is interesting why a PhD holder in History isn’t in the classroom, but rather on the basketball court, nurturing talents on how to 'kill'

their opponents. Actually, he has a US Basketball Licence and that explains why he is able to line his team in such a way that they look invincible.

According to coach Baba Samori, he uses historic happenings and African legends in history to motivate his team.

When asked about the secret behind the success chalked by the University of Ghana Team last year in the African competition, he said

dedication has been the key element here.

“I think it is the dedication for the game. It is the passion for the game these guys have. I can bring all the systems and the difference in strategy and all kind of stuff, but if these guys don’t have the passion, the discipline, the work ethics to want to work hard and learn these and be relentless on the court, then it won’t.

“But it has worked here in Ghana and it has worked in Africa, as you

can say FASU winner," Coach Baba Samori told Pulse Ghana Sports Coach Samori was flanked by two of his sources of basket: On his right was Gerald Sappor, a forward and his left was Emmanuel Wolff, a shooting

guard.

Two of the players who granted an interview with Pulse Ghana Sports said that it is rather, Coach Samori who is the reason why they destroy every single team on the domestic scene.

Coach Samori added that his team has been peerless in the UPAC competition because they do something different from the other teams and it plays to their advantage in games.

“We look at what everybody is doing in Ghana which I do the opposite. Because we know that everybody plays 2-3 or 3-2. Anybody doesn’t run any sets, doesn’t run baseline. I do the opposite and be serious about my game,” Coach Samori told Pulse Ghana Sports.

Coach Samori enumerated some of the challenges facing the team, minimal though as he said.

“The challenges have been pretty minimal for the most part. I mean I wish we had indoor court because when it rains or it becomes hard outside, it makes training a little bit difficult, but we will push through it. The university has given us pretty good support, I can’t

complain.

It is the dream of most basketball player to acquire a scholarship in US University and combine studies with the sport, however, the forward

and the shooting of the University of Ghana Basketball team don’t have such intention in the future.

"I have no such intention. After my first degree, I want to play ball. Find myself at a place I can be paid to play ball. I am done with

studies, “Emmanuel Wolff, the shooting guard of the team said.

"I want to go for more training camps and from there I may continue to play,” Gerald Sappor added.