UAAP Season 86 Boys’ Best Foreign Student-Athlete Collins Akowe is officially a Growling Tiger—and it’s all thanks to the crafty maneuvering of UST’s sports godfather, Al Francis Chua.
The high-profile transfer of the 6-foot-10 center from the NU Bullpups to the University of Santo Tomas sparked major online buzz, especially as NU had long been known for luring players from grassroots programs—a reputation further magnified by recent controversies in girls’ volleyball.
Read here.
UST steers clear of other UAAP schools’ grassroots volley recruits
This time, however, it’s UST doing the recruiting—and they may have struck gold.
San Miguel sports director Chua, who also serves as Special Assistant to the Rector for Sports in UST, confirmed to Spin.ph that the Tigers needed size, and Akowe fit the bill perfectly.
“Malaking asset si Collins para sa UST. We know how much we lacked size in the past seasons, and now we’re getting a legitimate big man who we know we can bank on for the future,” said Chua.
“He knows he has to deliver. We have immense trust kay Collins and he said that he’s ready for the challenge din naman para makatulong sa UST,” he added.
Akowe had been a dominant presence in high school, helping steer the Bullpups to numerous battles in the juniors’ ranks. With his commitment now sealed, UST hopes to take a leap forward from its Final Four finish last season and end a near two-decade title drought in UAAP Season 87.
The Tigers just might be roaring louder this year—and this time, they’ve got a giant in the paint.
The post UST lands 6-foot-10 big man Collins Akowe, thanks to Al Chua’s ‘magic touch’ first appeared on Fastbreak.
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