Ange Kouame. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo center Ange Kouame is set to go under the knife after leading the Blue Eagles back to the top of the UAAP while playing through an injury.
“I’m getting surgery, the rest, I’ll leave it to God because only God has answers… Because I’m going home tonight, this thing’s gonna hurt,” said Kouame after playing his Final UAAP game on Monday in front of 21,814 fans at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I can barely walk properly. It’s part of it. I like the process and I enjoy the game. I don’t see myself staying away from the game. Whatever’s gonna happen, gonna happen,” he added.
Kouame suffered a partial ACL tear and meniscal strain in his knee last June, missing the July and August windows of the Fiba World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers and the Fiba Asia Cup in Indonesia.
The 6-foot-10 center still returned in the season, where had his struggles in the elimination round and played some games in limited minutes.
In a winner-take-all Finals, Kouame took matters into his own hands with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks to complete Ateneo’s finals comeback to dethrone University of the Philippines, 75-68.
Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin bared the Finals MVP, who averaged 17.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks in the series, was not really in good condition this season as he needs to undergo surgery as soon as possible and recover for at least five months.
“Ange’s knee is an absolute mess. His last MRI, which was somewhere halfway through the season. I got it from our doctors they said it’s not good but it’s okay. I’m connected still to the people down in New Zealand. I sent his MRI results to the Tall Blacks doctors, some of the most sophisticated doctors. They see some of the most traumatic injuries in sports,” said Baldwin. “The doctor asked me a question: Is this kid playing? And I said, yeah he’s playing and then there’s a pause and he said: That’s one tough son of a b*tch.”
The 25-year-old big man lauded all his teammates for making this season his best tournament played in the Philippines.
“It’s not about Ange Kouame. It’s about the whole team and when it comes to the bench players especially. I missed a lot of practice this season because of my knee. props to them for making us better. This is where we are right now because of them and I’m really thankful for those kinds of teammates,” Kouame said.
“It means a lot. It’s the best that I’ve ever had in my life. I’m really happy about this.”
Although Kouame will need several months to get back in top shape, Baldwin believes the future is bright for his MVP on the global stage.
“He’s gonna be good to play as an import. We’ll have to try to figure out to help him with his future and maybe in Europe or maybe somebody in Japan will think he’s good enough to play there. Still a lot some work to do on his offensive game. But he’s gonna be a problem for another 10-12 years,” Baldwin said.
The Gilas Pilipinas reinforcement finished his collegiate career with three championships, one Finals MVP plum, a Season MVP award and Mythical Team selection last May.
