Twin Takeover: Shane and Shammah Kwizera

It is a rare occurrence for freshmen to make an impact at the varsity level in high school basketball, where size, skill, and athleticism are at a premium.

Beyond physical attributes, basketball IQ, chemistry with teammates, and feel for the game are crucial to winning and built up over time. 

The overwhelming success of Bishop Diego freshmen twins Shane and Shammah Kwizera shattered that conventional wisdom as the duo came out of nowhere and boosted the Cardinals from an up-and-coming program to a small-school juggernaut overnight.

“I was told about two weeks before the season started that they were coming to Bishop,” said first-year head coach Caleb Richey. “They play hard on both sides of the ball, and for freshmen, they are really good.”

Last season, Bishop Diego finished with a 12-17 overall record and lost to longtime rival Carpinteria in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 4A playoffs.

With key players Damien Krautmann, Crew Sjovold, and Rudy Blue returning, improvement was a reasonable expectation. Now that Shane and Shammah are on the team, the Cardinals are 21-3 overall and completed a perfect 8-0 run in Tri-Valley League play.

After dominating overmatched opponents for the majority of the season, a deep playoff run is the next goal. “Obviously, with how the season is going, they are playing well and meshing with the returners,” Richey said. “I hope they keep that up going into the playoffs.”

Shane is currently averaging 13 points, three assists, and four steals per game. Shammah contributes 10 points, four assists, and three steals per game.

Beyond the numbers, what makes the Kwizera twins special at this stage is their relentless ball pressure. They each have an innate ability to disrupt ball handlers that feeds into Bishop Diego’s up-tempo style of play.

Their instincts on defense are special and were likely developed in part from their time playing with the 16U Ugandan National team at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Tournament. Shane and Shammah were born in the United States and spent the majority of their childhood in the Chatsworth area, but they did live in Africa for a portion of their upbringing before returning to the United States to start elementary school.

“The basketball over there is much different from the states,” Shane said. “It’s more physical. The kids are way bigger, but you have to find a way to eat no matter where you go. That’s the mentality and confidence I went out there with.”

Basketball has been a huge part of the Kwizera twins’ lives for many years. They attended athletics-focused prep schools, such as DNA Academy in Chatsworth, and in the Amateur Athletic Union, they have been running with the Paul George Elite program, where they are coached by former NBA star Cuttino Mobley.

“Last year, I went to a prep school, so I’m kind of used to being by myself, having to live on my own,” Shammah said. “This is the first regular school I’ve been at in a while because I’ve been doing online schooling the past couple years. I feel like I’m getting the hang of it. I just have to stay consistent and keep the main thing the main thing.”

This spring and summer, the Kwizera twins will be moving up to play with the 18U Ugandan national team, even though they are still young enough to be in the 16U age group. 

Although their individual skill sets are strikingly similar on the court, there are subtle differences in how they play. Shane has a poised and calm demeanor, while Shammah thrives when he can be creative and make the most of chaos.

“They have great chemistry even when they kind of just free play,” coach Richey said. “Sometimes we will call a play out, and they will break the play and create something. I’m big on, ‘Go make a play; don’t be robots,’ and they do a job of going out there and making it happen.”

A huge opportunity for the Kwizera twins to showcase themselves and the Bishop Diego boys’ basketball program will be in the upcoming CIF-SS playoffs. The Cardinals have high hopes, and rightfully so, after defeating established programs such as Oxnard and Santa Maria during the regular season.

The Cardinals’ only losses have come to Inglewood, who is led by Jason Crowe, the all-time leading scorer in the history of California high school basketball.

“We came into the season expecting to be undefeated,” Shane said. “I feel like the games that we lost were all winnable. We’ve got to keep on getting better and prepare for the playoffs.”