Fifth-year guard Keiran Zziwa's U SPORTS basketball career serves as a microcosm of what hard work and dedication can do for you. His abilities to adapt and thrive have been key to his longevity in the game, and as the lightning-fast playmaker embarks on the final season of a seven-year journey with the Manitoba Bisons, he can't help but feel grateful for the opportunity, as well as optimistic for what lays ahead.

Zziwa, well known for his defensive prowess, helped the Glenlawn Lions advance to the MHSAA 4A provincial final in 2014, earning all-star status along the way. Still, he was viewed as a raw prospect following high school and wasn't highly recruited. Bisons head coach Kirby Schepp gave him the opportunity to try out for the team that year, and the athletic playmaker impressed enough to earn a roster spot. It was a big moment for Zziwa, who was unsure where his basketball journey may have gone if not for Schepp taking a chance on him.

The even-keeled playmaker started his career as a redshirt, trusting the process day in and day out. He earned valuable experience in 2016-17 when the team advanced to nationals for the first time in 30 years, and through diligence and grit, saw his role increase on a yearly basis.

In 2017-18, he started 11 games, flashing his defensive prowess with 28 steals as an energy guy. His active presence was a perfect complement to eventual pros Justus Alleyn and Rashawn Browne, two of the nation's most versatile guards. In 2018-19, he added 1.6 steals per game and 8.3 points per game, and in 2019-20 he stepped further into the spotlight alongside Browne, an eventual All-Canadian.

Zziwa, whose confidence was higher than ever, recorded the best statistical season of his career, averaging 15.4 points per game, while finishing in the top 15 in three-pointers made with 30. Defensively he was rock solid as usual, with 1.6 steals per game as the Herd finished 16-4, their best regular season record since joining the Canada West conference.

Pro ambitions

Throughout his career, Zziwa was surrounded by mentors that included Browne and Alleyn, as well as AJ Basi, Ilarion Bonhomme and Keith Omoerah, all of whom earned pro contracts after their time at UM. Following the 2019-20 campaign, Zziwa also believed this could be his reality. Then COVID-19 hit. Instead of flashing his talents for potential pro scouts and ending his post-secondary career on a high, he, and the rest of the team were left waiting following the cancellation of the 2020-21 season.

Zziwa, like he's done his entire career, stayed patient and was yet again rewarded for his persistence. In November of 2020, he was recruited via Twitter by a team rep for the Ugandan national team as his father is originally from the country. The squad was attempting to qualify for FIBA AfroBasket 2021, the continental championship of Africa, and were looking for further depth for their roster.

The opportunity was without a doubt the biggest in Zziwa's career, as it would offer him the chance to play alongside a number of pros, in order to see what the level of talent was like and if he could keep pace. Essentially, it was a golden ticket and sneak peek to a future in the sport past university.

With COVID numbers skyrocketing all across the world, travelling to be with the team wasn't a reality at the time. But in the summer when cases became manageable, Zziwa accepted a second offer to represent Uganda as they journeyed to take on Morocco on July 8. In order to get ready for the ten-day training camp, Zziwa got in extra work with Schepp, a veteran national team coach who, among a variety of experiences, was the bench boss for Canada's U17 team last year.

"I said yes right away, but it was more of a convincing my parents type of thing. Once I got my mom and dad on board with that, that was the plan for July. Since the end of April, that's when I was training for it and getting ready," Zziwa says.

"A big shout out to Kirby. He was the one who came in the gym with me for about a month prior. Every night we just came in and shot shots and worked on things that I would see out there. He's a very experienced coach with national-level stuff, so he has really good insight. Every night we came in, put up shots and worked on conditioning. Just repetitions of things he thought would be beneficial to playing out there."

Finding a role

Zziwa found a role on the team fairly quickly, as the squad's philosophy was to play full-court, 90-foot defence. His speed and athleticism in that regard were invaluable. He played just under 23 minutes, contributing five rebounds, three points, two assists and a steal as Uganda qualified for AfroBasket with a 77-65 win.

"It's a lot more fast-paced. I know there's a knock on AfroBasket and that it's not as big as in some other parts of the world like Europe and stuff like that, but it's definitely on the come up. African basketball is just big, it's aggressive, it's fast-paced and there's a lot of skill out there," noted Zziwa of the in-game experience.

"I would say the biggest challenge was just being able to be competitive the full 40 minutes, because I always had a bigger matchup. Obviously being a defensive-type of guy, I have quickness and I have speed. Those are my biggest advantages. My disadvantages would just be my height out there. In order to make up for that, I just had to work extra hard and hustle extra hard and make sure that I was locked in defensively more than ever before."

Zziwa brushed shoulders with many seasoned veterans of the sport, including teammate Ishmail Wainwright, a five-year member of Baylor's men's basketball team in the NCAA and current NBA pro. Being exposed to players of that calibre increased his maturity and while also providing mentorship.

"The biggest thing was just slowing down and not getting rushed. That was the first time I really played with guys that are much older than me and that have played all across the world. Ish, he's a big leader for me and a big help for me. Being able to have a role model like that was really helpful."

The experience in Morocoo was eye-opening for Zziwa, who came home more energized than ever in the lead-up to his final U SPORTS season. With Browne now graduated, Zziwa knew he'd have an even larger role this season. It's something he's waited patiently for and doesn't take for granted, considering where he started in the program.   

"He saw an opportunity for life after the U of M a little bit," says Schepp.

"I think that's motivated him to kind of push through a little bit here. We're looking for a big year from him. He battled a couple of nagging injuries early on, but I think he's getting better. I think he's poised for a really, really good year and should be very impactful for us."

"I wasn't even really given an opportunity elsewhere, but Kirby accepted me as a walk-on and from that process to redshirting, to my senior year, where I'm one of the oldest, if not the oldest on the team giving leadership to the younger guys, it's heartwarming and it's really surreal. I try to take it all in day by day," Zziwa added.  

"The relationships that I've built out here and being able to be a part of something special, I know I'm going to look back in a couple of years and say that this was one of the best times of my life. I'm really thankful for it."

Present and future collide

The 2021-22 campaign offers a taste of the present and the future for UM. Fifth-years Zziwa and James Wagner, along with fourth-years Riki Zimbakov and Cameron O'Hara provide the team with stability and experience, while third-year forward Wyatt Tait added ten pounds of muscle and has a larger role after overcoming a few injuries.

A handful of first-years, including 6'3" point guard Mason Kraus — one of the nation's highest touted recruits in 2021 — as well as versatile 6'3" swingman Tito Obasoto and 6'4" sharp-shooter Daren Watts have also started their careers on a high note as the Bisons swept Winnipeg to start the year.

Zziwa went off for a game-high 29 points and ten rebounds in Manitoba's 76-73 victory over the Wesmen on opening night last weekend, playing 34 minutes. Krause, an ultimate competitor who played for Sturgeon Heights before going away to Ontario for the last few years for prep school, added ten points and four boards while Wagner came alive in the second half, scoring the game-winning three pointer as part of a 16-point night.

"Since day one, it's been seamless. [Kraus] is a really great offensive player and I would say under-rated defensively. He's really athletic, he's quick, he's agile. With that, it's a great back court for us," noted Zziwa of his teammate.

"Offensively if I'm having a rough night, he can get it going for us and vice-versa. We bounce off of each other well, and as we get to play more games together and get more comfortable with each other, it's just going to keep growing. I think by the end of it, he's going to be really special."

The following evening, Zziwa, Wagner and Zimbakov combined for 43 points as UM completed the sweep with a 71-64 victory. Their defensive play, not only in game two, but all weekend was arguably the story.

Zziwa had three steals, a block and five boards in the rematch, while Kraus added two steals, as did Tait, who also had six rebounds and eight points. O'Hara contributed five boards and two blocks for a Manitoba roster that's currently sixth in the nation in points per game allowed, at 68.5.

Things won't get any easier for Manitoba this weekend at home, as they face a 3-1 Regina squad that's currently first in the Canada West East Division. Regardless, Zziwa is confident that if his squad can play a full 40 minutes of aggressive Manitoba basketball, they'll be just fine.

"A really big change for us is that we really just want to pick up full court, and we want to make sure that we stop transition and get to our matchups early. Offensively we struggled to start off the season a little bit, but currently we're top ten in defensive rating. That's something we really pride ourselves on. It really takes repetition and talking about it, because you can watch film and do everything, but until you go out and get reps and trust each other, that's when it's really going to start to mesh."