Kepler Basketball has signed Jamaican-Canadian point guard Jabs Newby on a one-year contract. The 34-year-old, who recently played for the Brampton Honey Badgers in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), is expected to arrive in Kigali on December 1 to join his new teammates and begin preparations for the upcoming season. Newby played college basketball for Eastern Kentucky University and Gannon University before launching his professional career. He was drafted second overall by the Saint John Mill Rats in the 2014 NBL Canada Draft. Later that year, he was traded to the Mississauga Power in exchange for Alex Johnson, averaging 8.4 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. In his debut with the Power, Newby impressed by scoring a team-high 27 points, along with four rebounds and two assists, shooting 8-of-11 from the field in 36 minutes of play. Mississauga’s vice president of basketball operations, John Wiggins, praised his performance, noting Newby’s raw energy and potential once he adapted to head coach Kyle Julius’ system. Newby went on to average 5.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game over 18 appearances and was named to the NBL All-Rookie Team. In 2015, Newby showcased his athleticism in Italy’s ALLINSPORT Summer League, where he won the slam dunk contest. That same year, he earned a tryout with the Raptors 905 of the NBA Development League, though he was waived before the season started. In April 2020, Newby signed with the Fraser Valley Bandits of the CEBL, and a few months later, in July 2020, he agreed to terms with Círculo Gijón, a Spanish third-tier team.
