Tuks’s basketball teams have a strong record in the 3×3 format—Tuks’s men are the USSA champions this year, and last year, Tuks’s women’s team won.
However, the story is different in the USSA 5×5 format. In 2021, Tuks women’s team reached the final round for the first time in eleven years. The Tuks men’s team has come close to qualifying for the medal rounds a few times. And that’s as good as it got for Tuks Basketball.
These statistics concern Thuto Mogotsi, who will lead the Tuks men’s team at the USSA Tournament for the second consecutive year. The tournament will be played at Wits.
“I can say unequivocally that the Tuks men’s team is one of the most talented squads never to have featured in a USSA final. Even the other teams would admit that. That is why we are known as ‘The Greatest that never did it.’ That has to change.
“We were unlucky last year. Just when it mattered most, several injuries hampered the team. Still, we did pretty well—we finished fourth. Which was not bad for a ‘team of cripples’,” said the 4th-year education student.
Until yesterday, Mogotsi was not certain whether he would lead Tuks at the USSA Tournament. During this year’s CUCSA Games in Botswana, he injured his little finger in a match against Angola. According to his doctor, the finger has recovered sufficiently for him to play.
“I am quietly excited about what we, as a team, can achieve this time around. The only factor that might work against us is a lack of match fitness. We have had very few opportunities to play 5×5 matches this year. In sport, teams need to play games, as it is the only way to get the team chemistry to work.”
As captain, only one thing matters to Mogotsi—giving his all.
“My best attribute as a player is that I have the basketball IQ to play any of the five positions. That is why I am called ‘The Swiss Army Knife’. Just get me on the court; I will do what needs to be done.”
When asked why he is so passionate about basketball, Mogotsi replies: “Playing basketball has changed my life for the better. Just as in life, there are certain values and habits in basketball that you must strive for. No success is possible without hard work, accountability, and discipline. Being a good human being counts for a lot. That is why I say: if you don’t live the way you play basketball, or play basketball the way you live, things just don’t really work out.”
