One could call him the Shaq of Poplar Bluff or maybe just simply Hosana. Whatever you call him, Hosana Kitenge can be called Three Rivers men’s basketball team leader.

Kitenge, a native of England, has already toiled in American college basketball ranks for four years now and has spent this campaign with the Raiders as a fourth-year sophomore thanks to an injury redshirt as well as a COVID mulligan that has allowed him two more years of eligibility following his departure in May.

Kitenge, possibly the larger man in Poplar Bluff is six feet and eight inches of personality, chatter, and brute force that has averaged 11.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, and 3.0 apg while battling injury during his time in town while trying to set a path on his journey forward.

“Hosana has been our leader and we have been playing through him — he’s really important to our team,” Three Rivers head coach Brian Bess said. “He’s a veteran. He’s been Division I so he has great experience. He is a talker and he leads by encouragement and hype and that usually helps our team.”

Kitenge started as a soccer and rugby player as a kid and ultimately moved over to basketball where he parlayed his ability into a scholarship with NCAA Division I’s Coastal Carolina in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was the first time he had been to the United States at any time.

“It’s what I expected it to be, despite being injured,” Kitenge said of his time in America. “You come into an environment that is almost unfamiliar to and you just work. I am very adaptable to a lot of different situations. Of course, the ups and downs are always difficult, but I wouldn’t change my experience for anyone else’s in the world. I really enjoy where I am right now and the game of basketball.”

After two years at Coastal, Kitenge moved over to Howard College in Texas and battled injury and after the program’s head coach and many players left, he found himself heading to Three Rivers.

“I was a medical redshirt at Howard when I ruptured my patella tendon,” Kitenge said. “The point guard is my best friend that I’ve known since I was 10 years old in England. It was inevitable that I would go there.

“I came to Three Rivers because of my connection to (assistant) coach (Trey) Rakes. I trusted him and he was at Coastal Carolina when I came and visited my senior year in high school.”

Kitenge said that his time in Poplar Bluff has been nothing “short of amazing,” as he has gone through a myriad of situations during his time here.

“We have a relatively young team with only one returning player — Lamont Jackson — back,” Kitenge said. “A lot of responsibility was placed on me and I think that’s what I needed after coming off that injury. I needed someone to constantly push me. Coach Rake who I have a relationship and Coach Bess who brought me under his wing have really entrusted me with this year’s team.

“They never turned their back on me even when I was hurt … that made my Three Rivers experience even better. I couldn’t pray for a more amazing group of guys to play with and lead.”

Kitenge said that he is hoping the team can go into the Region playoffs on a high note with some big wins as the season winds down. He said that the adversity the team has dealt with has only helped bring them closer together.

“That’s all factors in life and at the end of the day life goes on,” Kitenge said.

As far as his time in Poplar Bluff he appreciates the fanbase and the love of the sport.

“It’s the love that everyone in this town has,” Kitenge said. “You go into a store and people will ask you to take a picture with you or they will come to a game and show you love. It’s really rare for a JUCO town.

“We have to credit Gene Bess and all that he has done. I am very grateful I am able to play here.”

Kitenge’s plans are to move on to another Division I at season’s end as he is focusing on the moment and helping get the Raiders to the best finish possible.

“The biggest question everyone asks me where I see myself in four or five years and I do hope to have a professional career,” Kitenge said. “My biggest focus right now is how far me and the guys can take it in the postseason. It’s right around the corner. As a leader, your focus should be about your team and not be selfish.

“I would like to return to Division I. I feel like I failed the first time around and now I am more focused than ever to get back in shape and be the player I was before the (injuries) and see what life has to offer me.”

Alan Dale - Daily American Republic