Though he has just been with the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles for only a few months, Ivorian student-athlete Angelo Kouame is starting to feel right at home — both with his teammates and in the Philippines.
Coming off three pre-season championships and a trip to Greece, Kouame the Blue Eagles were granted an opportunity of a lifetime. For the first time in Philippine basketball history, the country sent a collegiate team to the William Jones Cup.
And the 20-year-old Ivorian is holding this chance to represent the Philippines close to his heart.
“Personally, I feel very happy about it. The Philippines is becoming my home, but I still miss my family back from my country,” confessed the 6-foot-10 big man, who won the Most Valuable Player crowns in the 2018 Chooks-to-Go/Filoil Preseason Cup and the SMART Breakdown Basketball Invitationals.
Certainly, Kouame is showing that he deserves to be right where he is.
In four games, Kouame has been averaging 11.0 points, a tournament-leading 13.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
He also proved pivotal in the Chooks-to-Go-powered Ateneo Pilipinas’ skid-ending 80-74 win over Japan B Wednesday evening, as he was a plus-9 on the floor. Japan had no answer for him in the game.
Having learned the game of basketball only four years ago, Kouame knows that he still has a long way to go. But he’s determined to use this tournament as an opportunity to learn from Asia’s finest.
“This is the first time for me to play at this level, so I have a lot to learn from them like on the defensive end and adjusting my positioning on offense,” Kouame told teammate Isaac Go, who did this interview.
“This is helping me to become a better player and my confidence because I know if I can play at this level, I can play against good competition. “
Besides the experience and lessons gained, what Kouame is relishing the most are the moments he and his brothers-in-arms are creating in Taiwan.
“This tournament is special for me because it is my first and I’m making and sharing a lot of memories with my brothers.”
