Matthew “Chew” Daves has opted not to play out his final year with Ateneo de Manila University.
The 24-year-old Filipino-Canadian big man has told the school that he plans on turning pro after graduating this June.
“We at Ateneo support our athlete’s decision if they want to turn professional. More than winning a championship, our program’s main goal is to turn student-athletes into professionals that embody the values of being men for others,” said Blue Eagles team manager Christopher “Epok” Quimpo.
“They will be always welcome to train with us in order to continue the process of becoming better players heading into the pro league,” added Quimpo.
Daves joins Dave Ildefonso, Angelo Kouame, BJ Andrade, and Jacob Lao as Blue Eagles who ended their collegiate careers after UAAP Season 85.
The 6-foot-5 athlete committed to Ateneo back in 2018 after graduating from Central Tech in Toronto. He was part of the Ateneo team that won gold in seasons 81, 82, and 85.
In his senior year, Daves averaged 1.93 points and 1.13 rebounds in eight minutes of play.
But it was in the Finals when he made his mark.
In Game Two, he put up six points in 15 solid minutes of action. Then in the clincher, he tallied four points and two rebounds while going a plus-17 in the 13 minutes he was on the floor.
“To the Ateneo community, I just want to say thank you for accepting and supporting me these last four years,” said Daves, who already has obtained a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.
“Ateneo is my home and I will never forget the memories we all made together.”
Quimpo hopes that the next batch of Eagles will be able to carry on the legacy left by the school’s graduating players.
“We will miss their veteran leadership but we are confident that the incoming recruits and our next seniors will not allow the team’s standards and pursuit of excellence to be diminished,” said Quimpo.
