The UE Red Warriors still can’t win a game as they started the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament with a 101-74 blowout at the hands of the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. The loss is UE’s 21st consecutive dating back to Season 87, but it came with a sliver of hope: rookie foreign student-athlete JM Edoukou showed out.
The 6-foot-4 Edoukou finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, and 1 block and was one of the few Red Warriors who played well against a determined and talented Ateneo five..
Edoukou Hopes to Uplift UE Even as a Rookie
Despite the loss, Edoukou remained upbeat and unyielding in his ultimate goal: to help UE back to hoops respectability.
“I can help my team, I can help UE, and I want UE to be like at the top. I don’t want UE to stay down and everyone will say ‘UE is a bad team,’” he told Rebanse an interview. “I just want to play and show myself because I know my value, and I know what my coaches saw from me so I just want to play.”
Starting Season 89, teams are allowed to have two FSAs but can field in only one per game. Against Ateneo, UE went with Edoukou, who is three inches shorter than the Red Warriors’ other FSA, Ajani Olamilekan.
“I don’t have really to think about what people say outside because I just know what I can do,” he said. “I just want to play my game and show to everyone and especially the coaches and all that they didn’t do wrong to choose me.”
Against Ateneo, Edoukou certainly gave a good account of himself even in a blowout. Now, if only the other Red Warriors have his same mindset, then maybe UE can slowly get back to becoming a good team—or at least a more respectable one.
