{"id":119013,"date":"2026-02-03T14:53:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T14:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026"},"modified":"2026-02-03T16:39:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T16:39:35","slug":"domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026","title":{"rendered":"Domestic League, BAL\u2014James Maye Jr wants it all in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>With just days to go before the new basketball season tips off, APR head coach James Maye Jr. says expectations at the club remain unchanged: defend the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) title and win the Basketball Africa League (BAL).<\/p>\n

The American coach has been putting his players through their paces as APR prepare for their first competitive test against Tigers in the Super Cup.<\/p>\n

In an interview with Times Sport, Maye Jr. shared insights into the team\u2019s preparations, the integration of new players and staff, and his ambitions for the season ahead.<\/p>\n

Excerpts:<\/p>\n

APR go into new season as champions. How prepared are you to defend the title?<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been working hard in training camp and practice, really setting our foundation as a group. We\u2019ve added some interesting talents\u2014players and staff\u2014and blending all of that takes time.<\/p>\n

Our main focus has been making sure our culture and identity remain at the forefront. That\u2019s what will lead us forward as we defend the title.<\/p>\n

Tell us specifically about the new recruits and the qualities they bring to the team.<\/p>\n

On the coaching staff, Derrek Baker is a well-travelled veteran who has been around the game for a long time and relates exceptionally well with players. He knows me personally, having coached me during my time with the Dominican Republic national team, and he brings valuable experience that helps our group think differently at times. He fits seamlessly into our culture as a collaborator, strengthening synergy and cohesion within the coaching unit. With a son close in age to our players, he also offers a natural mentorship perspective that resonates well with the group.<\/p>\n

With Matar Mbodji, our goal was to add a coach with strong experience in player development and a genuine passion for spending time on the court. We have many players with real value, particularly young ones, and we want to ensure everyone is developed in the way they deserve. I\u2019m a very demanding coach and we spend a lot of time on the floor\u2014Matar brings consistent positive energy and experience that supports that daily work.<\/p>\n

On the court, we\u2019ve added players with interesting and complementary qualities. Carlton Bragg was a high-profile player in the USA and has extensive experience competing alongside top-level talent. He\u2019s well-travelled internationally and brings a selfless, hard-working presence in the frontcourt, along with versatility that makes him a difficult matchup.<\/p>\n

Dieudonne\u0301 Ndizeye is well known for his shooting ability. He works tirelessly and gives us a specialist who blends well with the pieces we already have. Prince Twa is still very young but is gaining experience quickly. His natural skill set as an organiser, combined with his desire to improve and compete, allows him to make an immediate impact while also fitting seamlessly into our long-term development plans.<\/p>\n

You have played some friendly games. What picture did they give you?<\/p>\n

We\u2019re just beginning. The ceiling for this group is very high, but it will take time to reach that level.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve seen competitiveness, how we play under pressure, and how the integration of new players is coming along. We\u2019ve had flashes of really good moments, but there\u2019s still a lot of work to do. We\u2019ll get there.<\/p>\n

You will face Tigers in the Super Cup. With all the signings made so far, what do you have to say about the game?<\/p>\n

We\u2019re looking forward for this first big challenge. They\u2019ll be a very physical and competitive team with a deep bench. Henry has always instilled a tough identity with his teams and Tigers management has done a good job of supplying him with the right local and international talent. When adding many players, it can take them some time to build chemistry, I\u2019m sure they\u2019ve figured it out quickly leading into the Super Cup.<\/p>\n

On a personal level, let\u2019s talk about your time in Rwanda. Can you say you have settled in the league? What have been the learnings so far?<\/p>\n

Yes, heading into my third season, I feel like I know the league pretty well. I\u2019ve learned mostly about the mentality here in many different aspects including the passion for development and growth.<\/p>\n

Lastly, what are your targets for this season?<\/p>\n

Our targets remain the same as last year… win the RBL and the BAL. We\u2019ve done a lot of research and self-evaluation about ourselves this offseason and plan on using it to push us towards those goals.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. With just days to go before the new basketball season tips off, APR head coach James Maye Jr. says expectations at the club remain unchanged: defend the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) title and win the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The American coach has been putting his players through their paces as APR […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":119011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,18],"tags":[1864,3502,6430,758,5013],"class_list":["post-119013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-sport","tag-apr","tag-bal","tag-james-maye-jr","tag-rwanda","tag-rwanda-basketball-league"],"yoast_head":"\nDomestic League, BAL\u2014James Maye Jr wants it all in 2026 - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With just days to go before the new basketball season tips off, APR head coach James Maye Jr. says expectations at the c ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Domestic League, BAL\u2014James Maye Jr wants it all in 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With just days to go before the new basketball season tips off, APR head coach James Maye Jr. says expectations at the c ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-03T14:53:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-03T16:39:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2026\/02\/sm_1770124125.117015.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"727\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Domestic League, BAL\u2014James Maye Jr wants it all in 2026\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-03T14:53:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-03T16:39:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026\"},\"wordCount\":779,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2026\/02\/sm_1770124125.117015.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"APR\",\"BAL\",\"James Maye Jr\",\"Rwanda\",\"Rwanda Basketball league\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Sport\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/domestic-league-bal-james-maye-jr-wants-it-all-in-2026\",\"name\":\"Domestic League, BAL\u2014James Maye Jr wants it all in 2026 - 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