After a quiet start to his Ateneo de Manila University career due to a back injury, Nigerian center Divine Adili is finally hitting his stride as the Blue Eagles remain undefeated at 3-0 in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Limited to just 4.5 points on 40-percent shooting, alongside seven rebounds, 1.5 assists, and one block in victories over Far Eastern University and University of the East, Adili broke out in Ateneo’s dominant 77-58 win over Adamson University.
The victory marked the program’s best start since Season 84, Sunday evening at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Alongside the one-and-done duo of Kymani Ladi and Jaden Lazo, Adili made a major impact against the Soaring Falcons. He scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting and pulling down six rebounds.
However, the 21-year-old center reminded everyone that no single player can carry the team alone — a key lesson for Ateneo as it seeks to maintain its unbeaten run and reclaim the UAAP men’s basketball crown for the first time since Season 85.
“I would say it’s smooth. However, there’s always room for growth. You can never be perfect. There’s always room for improvement, not just for me but to the entire team,” Adili told Tiebreaker Times.
“I’ll just keep preparing, practicing, and improving on my game in whichever way I can, both individually and collectively as a team. I’ll just keep preparing,” he added.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Hampered by a nagging back injury early in the season, the New Era University product assured that the issue is no longer a concern.
Instead of dwelling on it, he focused on his daily grind to fully adapt to the system head coach Tab Baldwin has built over the past nine years.
“My preparations for this game weren’t different from any other game. I just made sure that I am familiar with the system and that I am well acquainted with all strategies — defensively or offensively. Going into the game, I don’t worry too much about the injury,” the 6-foot-10 center explained.
“I just play and just pray hopefully that God heals me.”
Baldwin himself heaped praise on Adili’s emergence, noting how important the rookie has been for a youthful Ateneo side that also features team captain Jared Bahay, Waki Espina, Shawn Tuano, Andrew Bongo, and Kyle Gamber.
Staying true to his role as a mentor, Baldwin commended Adili’s resilience and how quickly he has adapted despite the lingering effects of his back injury.
“Pretty good. He’s moving more freely, and you know it’s obviously something we can manage and he can manage. I think he still worries about it a little bit, but the more that he plays, he’s gonna get comfortable with the idea of not being 100-percent, but still giving his 100-percent,” the 67-year-old mentor shared.
“Our medical team is saying that he’s improving, he’s getting closer to just being normal. We’re waiting for that, but we still have to manage it a little bit for now,” he added.
“He’s a tough guy, but he’s a young guy. This is kind of new to him, but I’m really proud of how he’s toughing through it and still managing to give the team a lot of help.”
