NBL Playoffs: Roebuck Poised for Oilers Debut against Rezlife Saints

Friday, July 24
•Magic Stormers Vs JT Lady Jaguars – 7pm
•City Oilers Vs Rezlife Saints – 9pm

City Oilers are expected to unleash new signing Germaine Roebuck Jr. when they take on Rezlife Saints in Game One of their National Basketball League (NBL) Playoffs semifinal series on Friday at Lugogo.

Roebuck, a naturalised Ugandan-American small forward, is one of three players the Oilers signed during the mid-season transfer window.

Jonathan Komagum featured during the regular season, while Patrick Rembert made his debut as the Oilers swept KCCA Panthers in the quarterfinals.

Roebuck is no stranger to the Oilers setup, having previously represented the club in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers, although he is yet to feature for them in the domestic league.

He played for the Oilers in the BAL qualifiers in 2022, 2023 and 2024, averaging a combined 12.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Born in Illinois, USA, Roebuck has enjoyed professional stints in Nicaragua, Portugal, Rwanda and the United States.

The Oilers, who finished second in the regular season behind defending champions Namuwongo Blazers, eased into the semifinals after sweeping KCCA Panthers. They won Game One 58-50 before sealing the series with a convincing 77-61 victory in Game Two.

In that second game, Joel Lukoji led a balanced scoring effort with 14 points, while Benjamin Kawumi and Patrick Rembert added 12 points each. Landry Ndikumana and John Baptist Dauna chipped in with 11 apiece, underlining the Oilers’ depth.

Rezlife Saints, meanwhile, finished third in the regular season and will take confidence from having defeated the Oilers during the first round of the campaign.

The Saints booked their place in the semifinals after edging Sommet in a hard-fought quarterfinal series, winning the decisive Game Three 69-61.

They boast a talented backcourt featuring Edrine Ekau, Chris Omanye, Michael Otieno, Elvis Ssentongo and Caleb Katumba. However, their frontcourt will face a stern test against the experience, size and depth of the Oilers.