PRETORIA (South Africa) - Dylan Kayijuka has been the heartbeat of Rwanda's offense since the start of the FIBA U18 AfroBasket 2024.
Kayijuka's sterling performances for Rwanda in the group stages have made him one of the stars of the biennial tournament.
The way the point guard plays the game is effortless, and Kayijuka's style of play has benefitted Rwanda, as they finished 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 they prepare for the Quarter-Finals on Wednesday.
FIBA.Basketball looks at Kayijuka's attributes, which have made him a stand-out player.
Offense
The 18-year-old 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.
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.
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.
Defense
Kayijuka 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.
FIBA