APR head coach James Maye Jr. has shared his thoughts on new players who recently joined the club, with confidence that they possess qualities that the team may need during the new season which commences on January 24. The army side signed shooting guard Justin Uwitonze and point guard Antino Jackson—both from Rwanda Energy Group (REG)—in addition to center Shaffy Habineza who moved from United Generation Basketball (UGB). The trio has been training with the rest of the roster since December 2024 and Maye Jr can only take positives from the performance standards that they have shown throughout the past few weeks. He described Uwitonze as a player who plays with a lot of energy and aspiration. ALSO READ: Basketball: Antino Jackson joins APR camp ahead of new season “He plays with a lot of pride and I really like that. His shooting ability is among the qualities he is bringing to the table. I think he's going to add another option for us as far as the three-point line is concerned,” the American coach noted. Concerning Habineza, Maye Jr said he has a lot of grit, toughness and is very physical. “He loves to compete. It's part of our defensive DNA, and it's great to have him with us,” he noted. “I'm really, really excited to see how important they're going to be for us this season. I think they're going to be pivotal pieces for us, especially from the development piece and then just being able to add some substance to what we already have,” he added. APR will represent Rwanda in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2025, having claimed the championship of the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) in September 2024. Maye Jr. has been at the helm of the club since August before 2024 playoffs. He had a great introduction to the domestic league as he guided the army side to the championship defense after winning the finals series 4-2 against rivals Patriots. He is an experienced coach who previously worked in the NBA G League and US colleges, in addition to handling clubs out of his native USA.
