After winning his second NCAA crown, Mapua big man Allwell Oraeme reflected on his first two years in the NCAA, sharing that he is blessed to be in the position he is in right now.
“Being able to get to the Final Four is still a blessing. A couple of years ago we were at the bottom,” the 20 year old big man said.
However, the Nigerian student-athlete was saddened with the thought of not having teammates like CJ Isit, Joseph Eriobu, and Andrew Estrella in their Season 93 campaign.
“We lost CJ, we lost Eriobu, we don’t really know for sure. I’m confident we’re good enough to be on the final four,” said Oraeme, who posted norms of 16.0 points, 20.0 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game.
“It’s gonna be tough. I don’t know for sure. Everybody must want it. Not just me, the coaches, the players, everybody has to want it.”
And with the tough task of leading the Cardinals next season, Oraeme looks to add more to his already potent offensive repertoire.
“I need to improve my offense. That’s very important,” Oraeme, who also won this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award, said. “They double team me. I have to shoot from the outside and find a way to score. I just can’t rely on offensive rebounds and high-lows.”
