La Salle Green Archers big man Henry Agunanne finally suited up for La Salle on Sunday after a long battle with knee injuries that kept him sidelined for the entirety of UAAP Season 88. The 6-foot-11 big man played 14 minutes against the UE Red Warriors and towered above the competition, tallying 11 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block to underscore why he was worth the wait for the green and white.
A Blessing Through and Through
For Agunanne, the wait was worth it, too, as he twice described to Rebanse how his return to La Salle in the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament is a blessing.
“Coming back from an injury, it’s a huge blessing. Earlier this year, it was kind of hard because I couldn’t really say if I could play or not. But, being here is a blessing,” Agunanne said. “I’m really glad I’m able to represent La Salle again. I’m able to give the La Salle community another shot of seeing me play. They’ve been waiting, they’ve been asking a lot of questions, whether you’re going to be back. So, I’m glad I’m able to give them this. This year, this is my last playing year…”
Agunanne couldn’t have come at a better time, either. Prior to his return on Sunday, La Salle had lost back-to-back games and seemed reeling, with rebounding and interior defense obvious issues. The Nigerian FSA plugged those holes, even if he played only 14 minutes, and helped the Taft-based squad to a 112-87 rout of the hapless Red Warrios.
In short, the big man showed he could be a pillar for the Green Archers’ title defense.
Agunanne Is Keeping Things Simple
After a long layoff, Agunanne isn’t about to complicate things for himself. He is well aware of his role as a big man, and that’s exactly what he is focusing on.
“I think it’s really setting your mindset on just doing the things that the team needs to win. Because for me, I just want to keep things really simple. I know we need someone that gets on the boards. So, for me… I was like, I need to run, I need to get rebounds,” Agunanne pointed out. “I know that’s the thing the team needs from me at this point… I just have to get those rebounds… So, for me, my mindset is just get on the boards, try to do as much as possible to get on the boards…”
Agunanne did that on Sunday, grabbing 9 rebounds in only 14 minutes. He even added 11 points for good measure. He kept things simple, and he helped La Salle get back on track.
