The Winged Victory Basketball teams are in good hands for the 2025 UBL season.
By Phina Newton
University of Melbourne student-athletes are in good hands for the upcoming New Balance University Basketball League season, with a former UBL MVP and a Big V Championship coach appointed as head coaches.
Dr Joel Rimes, former UBL MVP and captain of the winning 2023 Men’s team, will be coaching the Men’s team this season. Rimes coached last year’s Uni Nationals men’s team, helping them earn a bronze medal.
“It’s a real honour to return to the University of Melbourne basketball program in a coaching role for the 2025 UBL season. This program provided so much to me in my time as a student, and I’m grateful for the chance to contribute to its continued success as an alumnus.”
With a core player group set to return, Rimes will have plenty of talent at his disposal. With the addition of some fresh recruits, the team will be a strong contender in the competition.
“We have a driven and talented group of student-athletes, and I’m excited to help guide them as we push towards a strong and competitive season.”
Current Melbourne University Basketball Club Big V Women’s coach, Kyle Ogden, will coach the Women’s team this year. This will be his first taste of UBL, but with the Women’s team determined to improve on last year’s result, who better to have leading them than someone with a Championship of their own. Ogden was the co-coach of the Basketball Club’s women’s team who won the Big V Division 2 Championship in 2024. This experience and his relationship with returning players will give the team a great advantage.
“I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to lead the UBL Women’s team for the 2025 season. I feel honoured to be a part of this fantastic student-athlete opportunity that the UBL provides for students Australia-wide.”
At Uni Nationals last year, the women’s team won gold, proving just how capable they are. With several of those players likely to return, the odds are in their favour.
“There are some excellent basketball players studying at the university, and this team has the potential to make some serious noise and compete for the championship.”
With two first-class coaches in place, tryouts are set to begin on 7 July and will run over two weeks. Visit the UBL page for more information!