The Ateneo de Manila University’s tower of power Angelo Kouame had an easy time plowing through the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, Saturday afternoon. But for the 6-foot-10 Ivorian student-athlete, it was not a struggle to put up a statline of 20 points on 8-for-9 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds and four blocks because of his teammates.
Kouame was already a dominant force during the first half of the Blue Eagles’ romp of the Growling Tigers, already tallying 12 points and seven rebounds. And when the Growling Tigers sliced Ateneo’s imposing lead down to just 18 early in the final frame, Kouame was the one who led the charge that led to a 32-point whipping.
After the game, the product of Reedley International School was just glad that his seniors have made his transition easy and fun.
“My teammates are the best. I really like my teammates. The way we move the ball, the way we share it, it makes me open. So I say thank you to them.”
His production though is a by-product of Ateneo’s system. In their first five wins of the season, different players have been crowned as the ‘Player of the Game’.
“I wish we could tell you that we had a game plan wherein he’s gonna score twenty points, but that’s not how we play. We played based on the system,” disclosed Ateneo assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga. “It can be Raffy Verano, he had a lot of points last game. It’s Angelo today. I don’t know next game who it will be. It’s just the way we play.
“It was a very good team effort on our part because if you noticed, because it’s not one-on-one moves with Angelo. Of course he had a couple of good moves and we’re happy that he’s improving, but it’s the passes from the guards, from Thirdy [Ravena], and from four men that were important for us in getting the scoring opportunities.”
But for fourth-year Blue Eagle Thirdy Ravena, it’s the other way around. With Kouame around, the Blue Eagles can just stick to the system.
“I think one of the reasons why maganda ‘yung nilalaro ng team namin is because of players like Angelo. He does his role religiously, he doesn’t wait for chances.
“Kung ano man ‘yung goal namin, we do it to the best of our abilities every single time. In that way, mau-utilize mo ‘yung pagiging mas efficient mo as a player and mas makaka-contribute sa team,” he shared.
