UST Growling Tigers’ newest recruit John Abate. –HANDOUT PHOOT
MANILA, Philippines—University of Santo Tomas continues to rack up players to bolster its roster for the future.
The Growling Tigers have officially secured the commitments of Filipino-Americans Jason Suba and John Abate.
Abate, a 6-foot-1 guard, averaged 6.5 points per game on an efficient 39 percent shooting clip from deep in his 2022 season for Spring Hill College.
Suba, meanwhile, already showed glimpses of his potential when he played in the 2023 Smart-NBTC National Finals for Team United-USA. He posted norms of 11 markers and 3.7 boards per outing.
Abate will be eligible to play for two seasons while Suba will have a complete four-year eligibility when he gets the green light from coach Pido Jarencio.
“Our materials here in UST have increased so it’s important for us to improve these kids’ skills and also so we can help them,” told Jarencio in Filipino.
The two cagers, however, will have to sit out the upcoming UAAP Season 86 for their residency years.
UST has been in a recruitment frenzy in the offseason with numerous acquisitions, most recently, former University of the East cornerstone Kyle Paranada.