Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Far Eastern University (FEU) stalwart Ken Tuffin made his debut in New Zealand’s National Basketball League (NBL) a few days ago, playing for the Taranaki Mountainairs, but that doesn’t mean the sweet-shooting forward is already done with his commitments with FEU in the UAAP.After getting permission from the UAAP board for his stint overseas, Tuffin said he will use this experience to come out as a better player and help the Tamaraws achieve their goals in the next season—if and when it is played.
“My goal is just to progress individually as a player and you know, doing whatever I can to help my team win,” Tuffin said. “I would always be like that. At FEU, I just did whatever they need me to do to help the team be successful and put myself in a position which I know I can excel. Hopefully my experience here will help.”
Tuffin promised to play out his remaining year of eligibility for the Tamaraws. He had a good debut in the New Zealand NBL after finishing with 10 points, four rebounds and two steals in Taranaki’s 107-95 win over Franklin at Trusts Arena in Auckland.
The 6-foot-4 forward was just pleased after getting the green light from the UAAP board, which will allow him, essentially, to retain his amateur status and still make him eligible for his last season for the Tamaraws for the nest season.
“It’s quite a relief to finally get out there,” Tuffin said of his first semi-pro game. “I was quite worried, you know. I’ve been training with the team and all of that, and I’m in the starting group and all of that, then my eligibility [for my last UAAP season] come up.
“I didn’t really know what’s going to happen, so I was just waiting patiently for the decision of the UAAP board,” Tuffin said in the “Prospects” podcast hosted by basketball star Kiefer Ravena recently. “Thankfully, they let me [play here]. [The board] understood [that] I’ll play as an amateur and I won’t to lose my eligibility status so I’m thankful for that.”Tuffin, who was scouted by FEU when the Tamaraws held a tryout in Wellington, New Zealand, a few years ago, said his stint in the NBL will help him develop as a player, enabling him to contribute more to the Tamaraws in his final season. INQ