Isaac Go joined fellow Ateneans Matt and Mike Nieto last Wednesday in submitting his 2019 PBA Draft papers to the league’s office in Pasig.
For the 6-foot-8 big man, this was the culmination of his six-year odyssey that saw him reinvent himself from a post player to a sweet-shooting big man.
“It feels great. I’ve worked hard for the last few years to get to this point,” said the 23-year-old after his MBA class at Ateneo Business School in Makati.
And it has been a long journey for him.
First, an ACL injury derailed his freshman year. Then in his rookie season with the Blue Eagles, the product of Xavier School rarely had playing time under then-head coach Bo Perasol.
Then came head coach Tab Baldwin.
Under the former Gilas head coach, Go flourished. Though he averaged just 3.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 0.6 blocks in his final UAAP year, he had flashed his brilliance in Ateneo’s D-League campaign months before that. There, he normed 9.3 points on 36-percent shooting from threes, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.8 blocks to cop the conference MVP plum.
With a high ceiling for his potential, many project Go as the top pick in this year’s draft. Though there’s pressure that comes with it, the Filipino-Chinese cager vows to not let get into his head, knowing that he still needs to prove himself to the national audience.
“There is pressure that comes with being a projected top pick. But nothing is set in stone. I’m going to continue to work hard.”
Go will no longer be eligible to play for Ateneo in the upcoming UAAP Season 82 3X3 basketball tournament.
