IT WAS an overtime period between archrivals Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle University (DLSU) during the FilOil Flying V Preseason Cup. With a little over two minutes left, DLSU’s Jollo Go hit a timely three-pointer to put the Green Archers up by two. From this point, Ateneo would rely on newcomer Angelo Kouame to help the Blue and White snag a much-needed win against their Taft-based rivals.
Using his superior size and athleticism, Kouame would go on to score the game’s next six points to give Ateneo a lead it would not relinquish. The 20-year-old finished with 16 points, 18 rebounds, and six blocks in a game that proved to be a defining moment in the Blue and White’s unbeaten championship run in the FilOil Cup.
Once a member of Team Glory Be, Kakou Ange Franck Williams Kouame, simply known as Ange, now has the spotlight pointed towards him as Ateneo prepares for its upcoming title defense in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball Tournament.
A fresh start
Yet despite his imposing frame, basketball was not Kouame’s first sport. The 6’10” reinforcement, hailing from Côte d’Ivoire, tried football before discovering basketball at age 16.
Back home, Kouame’s unlikely basketball journey started when he and his younger brother asked their dad for football jerseys. While his brother’s wish was fulfilled, Kouame received a basketball jersey instead. After his father’s passing four years later, Ange saw the jersey as something to remember him by and started playing basketball to cope with the loss of his father. “He is the reason why I play basketball,” he said.
When Kouame was recruited into Ateneo’s basketball program through a friend of Blue Eagles Team Manager Epok Quimpo, the Ivorian had an opportunity to take his game to the next level at the expense of leaving his home.
As Kouame arrived in the Philippines in October 2016, he was welcomed by a family with generations of Atenean blood in their veins including Gaby Veloso, former member of the Women’s Basketball Team, and Marty Veloso of Team Glory Be. The Veloso family’s affinity with Ateneo culture helped him adjust to life in the University and the Philippines. He then realized how much his life would be different from that point. “The biggest adjustment for me was leaving my family, friends, [and] country,” he shared.
Being raised in a country with a French native language, Kouame also faced a language barrier upon his arrival. Kouame’s one year at Multiple Intelligence International School allowed him to improve his English and adjust to Filipino culture. During this time, he had already begun training with Glory Be.
Fitting in with Ateneo’s basketball culture and community, however, proved to be easy for Kouame. He was welcomed by Blue Eagles Chibueze Ikeh, Vince Tolentino, Kris Porter, and Isaac Go, all of whom he refers to as kuya. On top of the team’s veterans, his new roommate and fellow newcomer William Navarro, helped him feel at home in Cervini Hall as well.
Growing pains
Kouame began his Ateneo journey as a member of the school’s Team B, fondly referred to as Team Glory Be, where he would learn to adjust to the physical and mental game the collegiate level had to offer. Marty Veloso, Kouame’s former teammate and foster brother, opened up on sharing the floor with the Ivorian, saying that it was a good thing that Kouame started in Glory Be before being called to the big leagues.
“I don’t think there were any disadvantages playing for Team B because every practice and [every] game is a learning experience and a chance for Ange to develop as a player,” Veloso said. “Playing for Team B, it was an adjustment because he was used to a different system, but you could already see the potential.”
Looking back, Kouame said playing for Glory Be helped him reflect on his game and recognize how hard he has to work to become a better basketball player. After Team B, Kouame would wait for the promotion to enter the spotlight with the first team.
Following Chibueze Ikeh’s departure in Season 80, there was a void in the Blue Eagles’ frontcourt. For the upcoming UAAP season, the Blue Eagles need someone who can block shots, rebound, and clean up missed shots with easy putbacks. And this is exactly what Kouame has been preparing for.
Growing gains
After gaining a year’s worth of experience with the second team, the interdisciplinary studies freshman was finally called up to become a Blue Eagle in the SMART City Hoops Basketball Championship, the SMART Breakdown Basketball Invitationals U25 Division, and the FilOil Preseason Cup. In these competitions, Kouame was tested against the best players that Philippine collegiate basketball has to offer.
The Blue Eagles went on an impressive streak; winning all three preseason championship games to complete a grand slam of the preseason tourneys. Kouame was a focal point throughout the championship runs as he grabbed several double-doubles and bagged the Most Valuable Player award (MVP) in two out of the three competitions.
With all this attention and praise thrown in Kouame’s direction, it will be exciting to see what the Ivorian has in store for the Blue Eagles in the upcoming years. Will he become the UAAP’s best defensive center? Snag MVP among the best of them? Spark the next Blue Eagles dynasty? Only time will tell.
And luckily, time is on Kouame’s side.
