The Dakar Arena is home to yet another entertaininng regular season showpiece of the 2023 Basketball Africa League (BAL) which tips off Saturday, March 11 and runs through March 21. Rwanda Energy Group (REG) are representing Rwanda at the BAL for the second time in a row. Now back to the club basketball show under American coach Dean Murray, the team was placed in the Sahara Conference alongside defending champions US-Monastir, Kwara Falcons (Nigeria), debutants ABC Fighters (Côte d'Ivoire), host side host AS Douanes (Senegal) and Stade Malien (Mali). REG start their expedition on Sunday, March 12 against Nigeria's Kwara Falcons. Times Sport takes you through who is who in Murray’s 13-man roster. Jean Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza Position: Point-guard Age: 24 Place of birth: Nyarugenge, Kigali The 24-year-old is currently one of the best basketball players in Rwanda, with proven statistics that make great impact on results at both club and national team level. Standing at 1.83m, Nshobozwa’s speed, hard work, attacking ferocity and defensive acumen make up for his diminutive nature. The point guard was named on the All-Defensive team of the BAL 2022 season. 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 Position: Point-guard Age: 25 Place of birth: Canada Habimana is one player whose basketball game has been on a steady rise during the past 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 when his team attacks. Last season, 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 after scoring18 points and putting up good attacking plays that created good opportunities for his teammates. Steven Hagumintwari Position: Small forward Age: 29 Place of birth: Kigali, Rwanda Since he made his national team debut during the 2014 FIBA-Africa Zone V Championships that were staged in Kampala, Uganda, Hagumintwari has been a consistent figure in the national team following his impressive displays at club level. He was instrumental for the Patriots side that reached the semi-finals of the inaugural BAL finals in 2021 in Kigali. He is now looking forward to using such experience to help REG achieve big things at the BAL. Dieudonné Ndayisaba Ndizeye Position: Small forward Born: 26 Place of birth: Nyanza, Southern Province The 26-year-old holds the Most Valuable Player (MVP) prize which he won after inspiring Patriots to 2018-19 Rwanda Basketball League triumph, their second consecutive championship and third in four seasons. In 2019, he was instrumental as Patriots cruised through two qualifying rounds to secure their ticket to the inaugural BAL regular season with a stunning 9:0 unbeaten run. Ndizeye was one of key players that put up a impressive displays this year as the Patriots finished second in the Rwanda Basketball League. For a couple of years, he was one of the top players in the country, thanks to his skill and work ethic. In 2019, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the league. He is making it in the BAL for the third time in a row, having previously played the past two editions for Patriots, in 2021 and REG 2022. Olivier Shyaka Position: Power forward Age: 27 Place of birth: Muhanga, Southern Province Shyaka’s discipline earned him confidence to become skipper of the men’s senior national basketball team in 2019 replacing Aristide Mugabe. In 2012, Shyaka was the driving force behind the national junior team that won the FIBA Africa Zone Five U-18 Championships after beating Kenya in the final at Amahoro indoor stadium. He was at the time named the tournament’s Most Valued Player. His star performance for the junior side led to his first call-up to the senior national team in early 2013. A key player for REG in BAL 2022 season, the 27-year-old is making his second appearance with the team in the tournament ahead of Sahara Conference regular season in Dakar, Senegal. Pascal Niyonkuru Position: Small forward Age: 28 Place of birth: Gasabo, Kigali Niyonkuru, popularly known as “Kaceka,” is one of the best shooting guards in the country and has had several call-ups to the national team in various competitions, including the Afrobasket qualifiers window 2 in Monastir, Tunisia in 2021. The 28-year-old was part of the REG side that won the 2017 Genocide Memorial Tournament after stunning Espoir in the final. He also helped them to finish third in the national league three times. Niyonkuru was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the National Heroes Day tournament in 2017. Prince Muhizi, Position: Shooting Guard Age: 27 Place of birth: Rubavu, Western Province With REG, Muhizi helped REG retain the domestic league title after a thrilling 84-74 win against Patriots to take the series 3-2. The 27-year-old, recently, helped REG beat Orion 103-51 in the league where he contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds. Pitchou Manga Position: Center Age: 34 Place of birth: Congo Manga made his debut in the BAL at REG last season. The Congolese was a key figure for the Rwandan champions when his double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds helped the team stun US Monastir 77-74 to topple the Tunisians at 2022 Sahara Conference regular season in Dakar and secure a ticket at the BAL playoffs in Kigali. Adonis Filer Position: Guard Age: 29 Place of birth: USA His scoring rate and dictation of play are among top qualities that define the player who was a key figure in REG’s triumphs during the past two seasons. He helped the club win two consecutive domestic league titles (2021 and 2022), and back-to-back qualification to the prestigious BAL. His quick impact to the Rwandan basketball league undoubtedly shows how far the 29-year-old has established himself as a force to reckon with. Point guard Filer also made key contributions to REG’s BAL endeavours as he made a higher number of assists during the tournament. One of the great games he played during the BAL was against AS Sale where he not only contributed 14 points for REG, but also established a new BAL record with 14 assists. Cleveland Thomas Position: Shooting guard Age: 29 Place of birth: USA Cleveland Thomas is a talented guard who played for REG during the BAL 2022 season durign which he helped the team reach the quarterfinals of the showpiece. The American, for instance, contributed a game-high 26 points as REG defeated AS Sale 91-87 in a regular season game held at the Dakar Arena in March 2022. He was terrific for most of the BAL’s Sahara Conference games, averaging a team-high 19 points per game. Ulrich Kamka Chomche Position: Power forward Age: 17 Place of birth: Cameroon The recent BAL Elevate draft saw the Cameroonian forward drafted to join the REG roster during the Sahara Conference in Dakar. At 17, Ulrich is the youngest in the team, but his skills and quality position him among the standout young players to watch at BAL 2023 given his incredible rise from playing for Cameroon’s basketball powerhouse Forces Armees et Police (FAP) aged just 16 to joining NBA Academy Africa. Jean de Dieu Umuhoza Position: Point guard Age: 21 Place of birth: Gasabo, Kigali The 21-year-old is one of the best point guards in the country and a great defensive asset for the club. Umuhoza joined REG before the beginning of the 2023 season after a stellar season with United Generation Basketball Club (UGB) in 2022. Delwan Graham Position: Forward Age: 34 Place of birth: USA The 34-year-old most recently played for Kharkivski Sokoly in the Ukraine - Super league. Days after completing his transfer to REG, club boss Murray heaped praise on the American, describing hims as an excellent player. Graham is a veteran player with vast basketball experience, having played for different teams across the world. Ukrainian super league is one of high level leagues where the veteran plied his trade. A versatile player who can play four and outside, Graham is also strong enough to guard a big man on the inside, and he should be versatile too as far as guarding two, three, and four men in the games.
