Mason Amos returned far earlier than anyone expected — and in a game La Salle desperately needed him most.
The De La Salle University forward was initially projected to miss the remainder of the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament elimination round — sidelined for seven straight games due to a Grade 2 medial collateral ligament tear in his right knee.
But in his return, Amos made his comeback felt immediately, proving he was nowhere near rusty when the Green Archers needed a stabilizer.
Amos finished with just three points on 1-of-4 shooting, but his value went far beyond the box score. He anchored La Salle’s defense in the clutch and added three rebounds, three assists, and one block, posting a game-high plus-21 in their crucial 87-82 win over defending champion University of the Philippines.
The 21-year-old Filipino-Australian’s return could not have been more timely for the Green Archers, who improved to 7-6 and secured at least a playoff for a Final Four berth in one of the most competitive UAAP seasons in recent years.
“It feels good to be back, you know? I still got a lot to work on right now. I actually don’t think that my legs are at 100-percent like as much as I want them to be, but it feels great to be back. It feels good to get the W,” Amos told reporters on Saturday evening at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Amos said La Salle’s coaching staff and physical therapy team made sure not to rush him back. He feels assured that his right knee is stable and now at “a solid 90-95%” — enough for the Gilas Pilipinas forward to reinforce Mike Phillips, Vhoris Marasigan, and Jacob Cortez.
“Actually, no. My knee is intact, that’s what’s important. If my knee wasn’t intact, I wouldn’t risk it at all. Honestly, in my head, I thought I was going to wait until next year. Wait until I was fully 100%,” he added.
“Right now, I’m about a solid 90-95% and for me, that’s good enough to help the team right now.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
The journey back, however, was far from smooth. Amos admitted the grind was tough, but the support system around him — from the La Salle staff to his teammates — made the process lighter and reminded him he wasn’t carrying the burden alone.
Beyond the program’s support, the 6-foot-7 forward also leaned on a renewed mindset: shutting out external noise and controlling only what mattered — recovering fully and earning back the time he lost.
“I had my teammates around me at the same time so it was easier to just overcome that adversity. In my head, I just used high spirits because I would always pray every day. Part of it is the Lord really just stuck with me through this journey and this process because I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I knew I was going to miss playing basketball. I was going to miss the UAAP, being on the court with my teammates,” he shared.
“All I could control was how I would get back and if I would get back in time. It’s a blessing from God. I’m very grateful that I’m able to put my shoes back on, get back on the floor because it’s something I can’t take for granted anymore. Experiencing that has made me work harder than ever and it was just a wake up call for me,” he continued.
Now that he’s back, Amos said he isn’t fixated on regaining his old scoring form right away. Instead, he’s focused on becoming a versatile, reliable piece — someone who can contribute in any role demanded of him.
That approach will be crucial as La Salle braces for its high-stakes rivalry showdown against Ateneo de Manila University on Wednesday at the Big Dome — a battle loaded with major playoff implications.
“For now, I’m just going to have to play a role because I’m just going to find other ways to help the team win. I’m not necessarily going to score 20 points for the team or give them what I did before which was be that scoring presence. I’m having my strokes right now because it’s my first game back,” he said.
“I’m just trying to find little ways where I can help the team where there’s rebounding, guarding the bigs, just playing good defense. That’s something I’ve been trying to improve over my career and that’s really going to be the focal point for me coming Wednesday because I know that they probably got a plan on trying to attack me maybe and I just got to be ready for it.”
