Basketball club «Rivne» has announced the signing of American center Tarique Eisa. The 27-year-old foreign player, who made a strong impression during the previous Ukrainian SuperLeague season, is returning to Ukraine and joining the Rivne squad ahead of the new championship. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the official Instagram page of BC «Rivne».
Contract and Return to Ukraine
Eisa's signing is one of the key roster decisions made by «Rivne» during the current transfer window. According to the club's official channels, the American center has already finalized his contract and is ready to join the training process. His return to Ukraine after a period abroad is seen within the club as a logical step: the player is already familiar with the level of the Ukrainian SuperLeague and, according to management, is capable of immediately strengthening the team's frontcourt.
Season in Zaporizhzhia: Numbers and Leader Status
Last season, Tarique Eisa began with BC «Zaporizhzhia», where he quickly became one of the team's leaders and, according to the source, the league's leading rebounder. In 17 regular-season SuperLeague games, the American posted impressive averages — 16.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. These figures made him one of the league's most prominent centers and explain «Rivne's» interest in him. In February, the player was forced to leave the Zaporizhzhia club, which interrupted his stint with «Zaporizhzhia».
Strengthening «Rivne's» Frontcourt
Eisa's arrival significantly strengthens the frontcourt of the Rivne club, which is actively preparing for the new season. Earlier, the team's management had already extended the contract of American guard Demarius Jackson and signed forward Danny Smith. Thus, «Rivne» is building the core of its foreign player roster, in which Eisa is expected to become the main anchor in defense and on the boards, as well as one of the primary sources of points in the paint.
Contradictory Information
Sources present the reason for the player's absence between seasons and the circumstances of his return in different ways. In the standard informational version provided by Sport RBC.UA, it is stated that in February Eisa left «Zaporizhzhia» "for family reasons." At the same time, in an interview cited by the 24tv outlet, the basketball player himself emphasizes his stay in Syria and describes his return to Ukraine as unexpected, explaining his choice of «Rivne" by the fact that "Rivne is a different reality." These wordings do not exclude each other, but they differ in emphasis: the official chronicle focuses on family reasons for the departure, while the player's own statement focuses on his time abroad and his motivation to return specifically to Rivne. Readers should take both versions into account when assessing the circumstances of the transfer.
Context of the SuperLeague Transfer Window
Eisa's transfer fits into the general wave of Ukrainian teams strengthening their rosters with foreign players ahead of the new season. In particular, it was previously reported that «Kyiv-Basket» also added a third American player. Against this backdrop, «Rivne's" signing of a center who has already proven his worth in the SuperLeague looks like a step aimed at increasing the team's competitiveness in the upcoming championship and, potentially, in European competitions.
