APR Basketball Club have strengthened their roster with the signing of American power forward Carlton Edward Bragg Jr, Times Sport can confirm. The army side is reinforcing its squad as it looks to defend its Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) title, with the new season scheduled to commence on January 24. Head coach James Mayer Jr. said Bragg is a valuable addition who can significantly contribute to the club’s ambitions in the upcoming campaign. The 29-year-old joins APR after a stint with Al Nassr Riyadh in the Saudi Basketball League (SBL). Bragg previously played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and the New Mexico Lobos, and has competed professionally in the Czech Republic, Poland, Turkey, and Canada. He was also a McDonald’s All-American in high school. It was in 2020 when he signed his first professional contract with Basketball Nymburk in the Czech National Basketball League. In his only appearance, he posted 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. He later joined Polski Cukier Toruń in the Polish Basketball League in September of the same year, before signing with Balıkesir Büyükşehir Belediye in the Turkish Basketball First League (TBL) in August 2021. Bragg represented the United States at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, South Korea, alongside several Kansas teammates. He averaged 3.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, helping the team secure a gold medal. Baker, Matar join James Maye’s backroom staff APR have also strengthened their technical bench with the addition of two American coaches—Derrek Baker and Matar Mbodji—who join James Maye Jr.’s staff ahead of the new season. Baker will serve as the first assistant coach, while Mbodji takes on the role of player development coach. Mbodji previously worked as an assistant coach in the Dallas 2025 Summer League. He served as a video coordinator with the Chicago Bulls in 2024, following a season in player development and video coordination during the Boston 2023 Summer League. He was also part of game operations for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) between 2022 and 2025. Over the years, Mbodji has collaborated with the Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, the Senegal national team, and numerous professional players across Africa, Europe, and the NBA. He also spent time at the SEED Academy and NBA Academy Africa, and coached in Senegal’s Division 1 Championship with US Rail.
