Patriots BBC head coach Henry Mwinuka admits the 2023 basketball season could be one of the most competitive seasons in years given the fact that various teams have made serious preparations.

The 2022/2023 topflight league season, which started on January 13, has produced some surprises where newcomers Kigali Titans, for instance, stunned Patriots 98-85 during the opening match, a result that woke Mwinuka up to take no team for granted during his side’s future fixtures.

"This year, all teams have really strengthened their ranks, and that is even visible on how teams stand on the table. Even the newcomers came ready to challenge the powerhouses,” he said.

As it stands, Patriots sit fourth on the league log with five points gathered from the three matches, while unbeaten Rwanda Energy Group(REG) lead the table with 6 points.

The Tanzanian tactician noted that, despite starting on a slow note, his team managed to bounce back to win the last two matches before telling his men to maintain their winning form when they face Shoot for the Stars BBC on Sunday.

"What we need to do is to work hard and give the players the winning mentality so that we can achieve our dream, "he said.

"We want to make sure that this team continues winning trophies consistently and for me this is just the beginning of something we are building here. The target is to be among the top teams in the country, we want to continue winning and make it a culture for Patriots.”

Kigali Titans and Orion surprisingly feature in the league table's top five alongside leaders REG, Espoir and Patriots, while APR find themselves in sixth place despite their big spending spree on the transfer market.

The competition that small teams have shown in the last three games of the season has signalled that the 2022/23 league is not going to be a two or three-horse race which used to be about REG, Patriots and APR.

Top Five

REG 6 points

Espoir 6 points

Kigali Titans 5points

Patriots 5 points

Orion 5 points