Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

ADMU

Angelo Kouame starting to feel right at home


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.”

#ReadMore  T1: Brickman guides Kaohsiung to 3-0 heading to Heading showdown
Written By


You May Also Like

ADMU

Ever since committing to Ateneo de Manila University early this year, Jared Bahay has already trained with the Blue Eagles for a couple of...

ADMU

Gab Gomez announced his decision to forgo his final year of eligibility and bid farewell to Ateneo de Manila University in a heartfelt social...

ADMU

Home is where the heart is. In Jared’s case, Bahay chose where his heart wanted him to be. The 18-year-old floor general out of...

ADMU

Jared Brown, the 5-foot-10 guard of Ateneo de Manila University, has chosen to conclude his brief tenure with the Blue Eagles, ending up as...

ADMU

Kai Ballungay has bid farewell to Ateneo de Manila University. The 6-foot-7 forward has decided to move on from the amateur ranks, preparing to...

ADMU

With Ateneo de Manila University’s defeat to the University of the Philippines in the Final Four of the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Basketball Tournament,...

ADMU

For the fourth time in five seasons, University of the Philippines is in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Finals. The top-seeded Fighting Maroons held their...

ADMU

It is safe to say that Adamson University coach Nash Racela and Ateneo de Manila University coach Tab Baldwin have not been the best...

Advertisement