UST’s Akowe vows to focus on improvement

UST’s Collins Akowe

(UAAP Media Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines —After a frustrating finish to his first UAAP senior’s season, Collins Akowe is eager to go back to the lab and improve further.

The young center was the main man of the Tigers in the middle this UAAP Season 88.

UST, though, bowed out of the Final Four after absorbing an 82-81 defeat against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons on Wednesday.

In that game, Akowe finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks for the Tigers.

After the game, the Nigerian big man said he will keep working moving forward, as he eyes more improvements in the coming seasons.

“I just have to go back to the lab. Keep working, man. Keep working. Mostly my shooting and everything, man,” he told Philstar.com.

“Coming into next year, it will just be a different ballgame. A different Collins Akowe, I guess.”

At the end of the eliminations, Akowe averaged 16.4 points, 14.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game on 54.4% shooting from the field, while also having 53.3% average at the free throw line.

He finished third in the Most Valuable Player race with 79.286 statistical points. He is also set to be named the Rookie of the Year.

With veterans Nic Cabanero, Forthsky Padrigao and Kyle Paranada playing their final year, Akowe, Amiel Acido and Gelo Crisostomo are expected to be the anchor of the next season for UST.

“[This season was] a lesson learned for me. It's an honor playing alongside every one of my teammates, man. Mostly the graduating players, man. I learned a lot from those guys. Hopefully, I can get to implement everything I learned from them into the other season.”