Canada-based shooting guard Dylan Kayijuka has been the heartbeat of Rwanda's offense since the start of the FIBA U18 AfroBasket 2024. The 18-year-old's top performances in the group stages have made him one of standout performance of the biennial tournament so far and no surprise he would win the MVP should he at least reaches the final. He has been scoring for fun in the past three games which saw Rwanda finish on the top of Group C with a 3-0 record after beating Zambia on Monday night. Kayijuka and Rwanda ride on the confidence of the group stages as the take on Cameroon in the Quarter-Finals on Wednesday. ALSO READ: U18 Afrobasket: Kayijuka drops 25 points as Rwanda beat South Africa Times Sport looks at the basketball prodigy’s attributes, which have made him a stand-out player in the continental youth showpiece. Offence The Rwandan captain plays with silky smooth finesse, especially when he dribbles to the rim to score or dishes out a no-look pass to a teammate. His ability to score from behind the arc has also made him unstoppable. The potent guard ranked number one in scoring in the Group Phase averages of 21.3 points per game. He had a stellar tournament debut in the win against host nation South Africa, scoring 25 and crashing 14 boards. What stood out in that opening game (against South Africa) was his willingness to go at the South African defense leading to him getting fouled. From the free throw line, he was 16/18. ALSO READ: U18 Afrobasket: I want to win it all, says Rwanda skipper Kayijuka The second victory over Morocco saw Kayijuka have another 20-point game, while the last encounter of the group (against Zambia) saw him finish with 19 points. ALSO READ: Rising star Kayijuka aims higher after FIBA Zone 5 qualifiers exploits Defense Kayijuka had an efficient outing against Zambia, with figures of 3/5 from the three-point range and 4/4 from the free-throw line. The youngster seems to thrive in rebounding, especially at the defensive end (10 vs South Africa, six vs Morocco and five vs Zambia) and has an average of 8.3 rebounds per game. He also averages 1.7 steals per game. While he loves to score, he also knows how to get down and do the dirty graft on the defensive end. Outlook Rwanda's objective is to win the tournament and qualify for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 in Lausanne, Switzerland - with a player like Kayijuka pulling the strings on the court, the dream is a possibility.
