ATENEO’S faithful received good news yesterday exactly a week after one of the Blue Eagles’ key players, Kai Ballungay, chose to leave the team to turn pro.
Skipper Chris Koon has opted to play his final year with Ateneo in the 87th UAAP basketball tournament next year, a big boost to the Eagles’ drive to regain lost glory.
“To the Ateneo Community, I want to thank you for being patient with me as I was figuring out my future after the season ended,” the 6-foot-5 Koon said on Instagram yesterday. “It was an emotional year filled with lots of growth and learning experiences. We didn’t achieve the outcome we desired.
“But I’m glad to have gone through it with our amazing coaches, management, fans, and of course my teammates. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people here at Ateneo,” he added.
Koon was good for 9.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 15 games last season for the Tab Baldwin-mentored Ateneo crew.
With key players from their title squad last year like naturalized center Ange Kouame and gunner Dave Ildefonso having used up their playing years, and playmaker Forthsky Padrigao moving to University of Santo Tomas, to say the Eagles groped for form in the last cage wars is an understatement.
Ateneo finished with a 7-7 slate after the eliminations before ousting Adamson University 70-48 to catch the last ride to the Final Four.
The Eagles fell to the top seed and twice-to-beat University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons 46-57 in their semifinals duel.
Aside from Koon, playmaker Jared Brown and Mason Amos are also expected to return and lead the Katipunan cagers’ campaign.
Koon is raring to hit the ground running.
“With that, there is still much work to be done. I’m excited to say that I will be coming back for next season,” he said.
“The road to recovery and preparation starts now and I can’t wait to go through this journey together with all of you.”
