Rwandan youngster Osborn Shema was named in the first team in the Western junior College athletic Conference as well as defensive player of the year. The 22-year-old who joined Florida Gulf Coast Eagles men’s basketball team in 2018 is on a scholarship at Glove Prep Christian Academy since 2016. Shema, a 7-foot-1 native of Rwanda, is officially committed to NCAA Division I Iona College in New Rochelle, New York. After averaging 10.6 points a game and 8.1 rebounds, Shema will get an opportunity to play for legendary head coach Rick Pitino, who led Kentucky and Louisville to national titles in 1996 and 2013. “It means a lot. It’s a step to getting closer to my goals. With a coach like him, it’s really easy,” said Shema. After attending Glove Prep Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida, Shema got an opportunity to play for NCAA Division I Florida Gulf Coast University, but he backed out and traveled to Roswell to attend the institute. Shema tallied seven double-doubles while recording double-digit scoring figures in 15 games. He tallied a season-high 24 points during a 109-101 loss at Trinidad State Junior College on Nov. 12. On 6 January Shema finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds after suffering a 64-55 defeat to New Mexico Junior College. The 15 boards were a season-high. He ranked fifth in the WJCAC in rebounds (132), second in blocks (45) and 10th in rebounds per game while his 81 total blocks placed ninth in the nation. “It’s a good situation because it has good structure. you’re just focused on your studies and basketball,” Shema said about his time spent at NMMI. “It really prepared me a lot. I’m thankful and glad that I played there. “I think it went great. We actually lost about six players at the beginning of the season and we still managed to get a chance to get to the playoffs. I was proud of my teammates and coaches.” Shema was spotted during the 2015 Giants of Africa training camp in Kigali. He was part of the national youth team that finished fifth at the 2016 Africa U18 Basketball Championship staged in Kigali.
