Adamson’s Jerrick Ahanmisi. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
OUT TO prove his doubters wrong, Adamson’s Jerrick Ahanmisi has been taking the floor a lot more confident these days.
And who wouldn’t be, now that Ahanmisi has surprisingly emerged as the league’s top scorer just months after getting snubbed by several high-profile schools.
“I was a little bit nervous going into my first game but I was also excited,” said Ahanmisi, an 18-year-old Filipino-American rookie from Village Christian High School in California.
“I’ve been learning from my coaches. Ever since I got here, I’ve been trying to polish my game.”
Ahanmisi got passed up by several universities, including Ateneo, La Salle and National U, during the off season.
But Adamson coach Franz Pumaren took a chance on Ahanmisi, even though the 6-foot-1 guard admittedly looked raw a few months back.
“I think we’re just lucky we were able to recruit him,” Pumaren said of the younger brother of PBA player Maverick Ahanmisi. “But we saw potential in him.”
After watching the Falcons stun the Blue Eagles last weekend, the Bulldogs get a look at what they might have missed when they take their turn against Ahanmisi and Adamson in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament today.
Game time is set at 4 p.m., right after University of the East and University of the Philippines try to end their losing skid at 2 p.m. at Mall of Asia Arena.
Ahanmisi leads the league in scoring after averaging 20 points in three games built on a whopping 70.4 field goal percentage, also a league-best.
But Pumaren stressed it hasn’t been all about Ahanmisi as the Falcons—tied for second with the Bulldogs at 2-1—have also unveiled rising standouts in Robbie Manalang and Dawn Ochea, who buried the last-gasp jumper that downed Ateneo, 62-61.
“I admire and salute my players because they accepted my challenge,” said Pumaren. “They deserve to be a better team than what they’re showing in the last how many years.”