EJ Abadam will be sidelined for one month in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament after suffering a fractured left ankle.
De La Salle University head coach Topex Robinson confirmed the news to Tiebreaker Times on Saturday, October 19.
The 20-year-old, 6-foot-5 forward sustained the injury in a collision with center Mike Phillips at the 7:38 mark of the second quarter during the Green Archers’ 94-87 overtime win over the UST Growling Tigers last Wednesday.
This injury will rule Abadam out for the entire second-round campaign, concluding with a match against National University on November 13 at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
After nine games, the Green Archers have maintained their position at the top of the eight-team league with an 8-1 record. Throughout those games, Abadam averaged 4.56 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.11 assists in approximately 16 minutes and 42 seconds of action per game.
In Abadam’s absence, the continued emergence of Vhoris Marasigan, EJ Gollena, and Joshua David – along with the rise of rookie Doy Dungo – will be crucial for La Salle’s pursuit of the top seed.
While Abadam will miss the remainder of the eliminations, his recovery timeline suggests he will be available for the Green Archers heading into the Final Four tournament, set to take place later in November.
The Fil-Australian will miss La Salle’s second-round battle against the Adamson Soaring Falcons, scheduled for later today at 3:30 PM at the same UST venue.
A win for the Green Archers would make them the first team to secure a Final Four ticket.
