APR basketball club have added on their roster three new players including star point guard Jean-Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza. Commonly known as Nshobozwa, the former REG player is widely recognized among the faces of the local basketball league. Also added to the APR roster is power-forward Axel Mpoyo, who previously featured for local powerhouse REG. It is the first time a championship caliber team is losing two of its best players to a rival team in the local league. While the trade is a big win for APR, Times Sport understands there is an ongoing dispute among REG top management. Both Mpoyo and Nshobozwa were starters on REG’s lineup, and also recently powered the club to their second, in a row, championship. Another trade saw Patriots; point guard Ntore Habimana join APR, becoming the third key player to join the army side this offseason. “It is a done deal for all them,” a source who preferred anonymity told Time Sport. “They were given two year contracts. The deal is subject to extension based on performance. But obviously this is a huge boost for us a contending team,” the source added. When asked about details of the contract, the source said one of the players would be paid Rwf2 million per month according to current negotiations, but declined to give more details. APR’s line up looks packed for a team that has previously reiterated ambitions of winning next year’s championship. A look at the new players Jean-Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza The 24-year-old is one of the best basketball players in Rwanda currently, due to his contribution for both club and country. Standing at 1.83m, Nshobozwa’s speed, hard work, attacking ferocity and defensive acumen make up for his diminutive nature. Nshobozwabyosenumukiza was named on the All-Defensive team of the just-concluded Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2022. In the BAL, he averaged 1.7 steals per game, 3.7 average defensive rebounds, 14.2 points per game, and 3.5 assists per game, making him one of the top performers for REG in the tournament. Ntore Habimana Habimana is one player that has been steadily rising in the last two to three years. He currently seems very ready to shine at the big stage. Born in Canada to Rwandan parents, the 25-year-old has played for the Rwandan national team since last year. He is a deft guard who loves to drive forward, but always thinks about passing the ball and finding someone in the corner as his team attacks. Recently, he showed that he has come of age when he stepped up and played a major role as The Patriots beat REG in the second round of the league. He was the MVP of the game, as he scored 18 points and put up good attacking plays that created good opportunities for his team mates. Axel Mpoyo Axel Mpoyo, crowned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the 2021/22 Rwanda Basketball League season is a US-born Rwandan power forward who features for the National team, but has also played twice at the BAL - for both Patriots and REG. The 24-year-old is a good rim-attacker and finisher who often contributes in the clutch time of the game. For instance, in an Afrobasket qualifier that the national team played against Nigeria last year, he posted a joint game-high of 13 points, although Rwanda went on to lose the game 51-64 to the West Africans.
