Patriots and IPRC-South face uphill battle to defend league, playoffs titles

With the 2016-17 national basketball season already underway, Saturday Sport’s Jejje Muhinde takes a closer look at the 10 teams, important players and also predicts which team he thinks has higher chances to win the title and who will struggle. Rwanda Energy Group: The newly established team has already made their intention very clear: to win trophies. REG hired experienced coach Jean Bahufite, known for his player development qualities, as their new coach. With a strong enough financial muscle, REG under Bahufite, start the season among the favorites to challenge for trophies. The club has signed high profile players including last season’s MVP Ali Kazingufu Kubwimana from reigning league champions Patriots, to provide leadership and scoring ability. Others include: former Espoir centre Bienvenue Ngandu, Regis Gatoto (guard) from United Generation Basketball Club (UGB) and Armel Sangwe (point guard) from the U18 Boys Team. Powerful guard Benjamin Mukengerwa has joined from DR Congo, Deo Nkurikiyinka (free agent), Francois Gahuranyi, Patrick Nshizirungu, from the U18 Boys, and point guard Didier Abimana as well as centre forward Valery Kajeguhakwa. With such a star-studded squad and an experienced coach, who knows a thing or two about winning trophies, it would be hard to look beyond the new team as favourites to win the regular season league title. They play their first game of the season against Rusizi Basketball Club at Amahoro Indoor Stadium on Sunday. Patriots BBC: They are the regular season league defending champions, won the Gisembe memorial tournament last season and claimed the 2016/17 pre-season tournament. Tanzanian coach Henry Mwinuka has made big new additions, among them Sunny Niyomugabo from IPRC-South, a versatile and aggressive player with potential to help the team to defend the title. The Kagugu-based side have also brought in shooting guard Didier Ishimwe, Junior Ambol (centre) from DR Congo and Ugandan point guard Cedar Sagamba from Ndejje University. As seen in pre-season games, the players have improved upon the team’s performance given their size, energy and skills. The toughest thing to do in sports is to repeat, but then Patriots remain the team to watch out for by a considerable margin. Mwinuka’s team won 16 games and lost twice in regular league last season finishing top of the table with 34 points, but lost to IPRC-South in the final of the best of five playoffs finals. Espoir: Espoir coach Maxime Mwiseneza Having finished 2nd last season, two points behind Patriots, the four-time league and playoffs champions overcame CSK 127-32 in their season opener, hence sending a chilling message to the rest of the teams. The key man will be their captain Olivier Shyaka. He will be their 3-and-D man, who can put the Nyamirambo-based side over the top when his shots are falling. He dropped a career best 43 points against CSK last weekend and will need to produce more similar performances for the rest of the season if Espoir, under new head coach Maxime Mwiseneza, are to be genuine contenders. Shyaka’s bridge with Emile Galois Kajeneza will create chances to put the ball in the basket, having lost shoot guards Lionel Hakizimana and Pascal Karekezi to newly formed Bank of Kigali (BK) Basketball Club, Patrick Buzangu, who went to ply his trade in his native DR Congo as well as centre Ngandu to REG. Even without the core of the squad that won four league titles on the trot, Mwiseneza, who was assistant coach under Bahufite, knows expectations are still high for a team that is seeking to clinch a record 5th league title. The Nyamirambo-based side takes on 30-Plus on Saturday at Cercle Sportif de Kigali court in Rugunga. IPRC-South: The reigning playoffs champions will be a tenacious team this season, having finished in third place last season when they lost the season title decider 52-45 to eventual champions, Patriots. Coach Charles Mushumba has said the league title is their first priority but the question is does he have the resources in terms of manpower and skill to win a first league title of his coaching career? APR BBC: Having finished 5th with 28 points last season, pressure is high for APR’s Kenyan coach Cliff Owuor to try and end a five-year trophy drought. The new season has started on good note with high expectations and excitement after beating UGB 91-45 in their opening first game. The Kenyan coach says his team has matured after years of developing and is confident this could be the season for the military side that was once the dominant force in Rwandan basketball, to regain their lost glory.Last season, Owuor and his men won 10 and lost 8 games but after years of playing as underdogs, this season is being looked as a make or break for the long-serving trainer. IPRC-Kigali: Finished in fourth position last season with 32 points, level with IPRC-South but both sides were separated by a 204 points difference. Head coach Albert Buhake is much aware of the uphill task his team faces to repeat or even improve on last season’s performance, but without any major new signings, IPRC-Kigali must have set themselves relatively low and probably achievable targets. United Generation Basketball: Coach Yves Murenzi will still be disenchanted at the end of the season unless his players up their game. They have already lost the first game 91-45 to former champions APR. With more work on the offensive, it leaves them with more to do even in other areas. The player around whom the roster is constructed is Placide Kamuntu, who signed in close season from CSK. Cercle Sportif de Kigali (CSK): They have started the new season as they did in the last campaign, losing their season opener. Under coach Barame Aboubakar, CSK still have a lot of work to do to even get closer to a team that won the league in 2008. Rusizi BBC: They only won two games last season; which undeniably leaves them a mountain to climb in a bid to close the gap on the top teams. The Rugunga-based club finished second from bottom last season having won only one game the whole season. They host Rusizi in their second game on Saturday at Cercle Sportif de Kigali court hoping to register what would be a morale and confidence-boosting win. Not a lot is expected from CSK. 30-Plus: The Kimisagara-based outfit made a return to the national league this season having missed the last campaign as they built what the club management thought would be a formidable team capable of competing favourably against the big boys. Much awaits to be seen from them this season having lost the season opener 37-85 against the reigning playoffs champions, IPRC-South. Their next game will be against title hopefuls Espoir on Saturday. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Patriots and IPRC-South face uphill battle to defend league, playoffs titles