The UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball tournament had plethora of star big men that includes Alvin Pasaol, Bright Akhuetie, Angelo Kouame, Justine Baltazar, Santi Santillan, Papi Sarr just to name a few.
University of Santo Tomas’ Germy Mahinay is not one of them.
Mahinay isn’t a player that will punish opponents with points, but he may rough them up with his style of play.
Ateneo’s Kouame said Mahinay has a habit of being a rough house, and Mahinay, unsurprisingly, did not deny that.
“I’m just being a little physical, Pinoy style if you will, because us Filipinos aren’t that gifted in height and it’s normal for us to be hurt while playing,” said Mahinay in Filipino after their 102-62 loss against the Blue Eagles Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Kouame told Mahinay during their game that he didn’t have to do the extra bumps but he shrugged it after the game saying it was just the UST big man’s way of playing.
“It’s nothing serious and I was telling him that he doesn’t need to do that although it doesn’t bother me because that’s part of the game and he has to do what he has to do,” said the 6-foot-10 Kouame of Mahinay, who is six inches shorter than him.
Kouame outplayed Mahinay finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks to the Growling Tigers’ six points and five boards.
Mahinay, however, made sure that the league’s big men would fondly remember him for years to come.
“Because in basketball it can’t be helped that you’ll be hurt and it’s also normal for me to get hurt,” said Mahinay who is in his rookie season. “I mean if I hurt someone I’m not exactly doing it on an exaggerated level, and if I get hurt I won’t take it personally.”