Their undefeated start will be a huge boost for the Ateneo as it takes on rival La Salle this Sunday in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tourney, former Blue Eagles star Kai Ballungay said.
Ballungay, who played two seasons for the Katipunan-based squad and was part of the Blue Eagles squad that won the Season 85 championship, said he believes the unscathed start of the Blue Eagles thus far will help them against their bitter rivals.
‘I’m excited, man. I mean, we’ve been looking forward to this [Ateneo-La Salle matchup] since last year,’ he told Philstar.com during the release of the new Nike LeBron XXIII at the Titan Fort earlier this week.
‘You know, this is a brand new team. We started off 3-0 so far, so I think we’re going to do this one with a lot of confidence. I just want to see them come out with a win for sure,’ he added.
Ateneo, which managed to win just four games last season, has now won its first three contests. The squad has defeated Far Eastern University in overtime, University of the East by two points, and Adamson by a blowout.
Now, the real test begins for the Blue Eagles, as they take on the 2-1 La Salle squad that will now feature former Ateneo big man Mason Amos.
Ballungay also voiced confidence that the current Blue Eagle team has what it takes to go all the way.
‘Yeah, for sure. I mean, they have all the pieces. From the player standpoint, from a coaching standpoint, they’ve always been set. Coach Tab’s guided them always in the right direction,’ he said.
‘I think it’s going to take adjusting while other teams are making adjustments to them. So I think as long as they overcome every challenge throughout the way, I think they’ll be fine.’
Through three games thus far, the Blue Eagles are led by one-and-done forward Kymani Ladi, who, like Ballungay, is a tall wing – at 6-foot-7 – and has 3-point range.
Ladi is leading the team in scoring with 19.3 points per game. He is also norming 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest.
Ballungay said he sees the similarities between him and the Vallejo, California native.
‘Yeah man. I’ve been hearing that a lot lately. You know, I definitely see the similarities for sure. And you know, I feel like Ateneo has always produced great stretch fours,’ he said.
‘From Will Navarro, you know, I fit that same role in Kymani. I feel like, like I said, Coach Tab has always been able to develop those type of players and it’s good to see it continue,’ he added.
‘He has everything that it takes. You know, he’s a great player just from the outside looking in and with the guidance of Coach Tab and the Ateneo system around him, I think he’s going to do well.’
Ballungay was among the athletes that was present during the Forever King event at the Titan Fort, where, aside from the release of the new LeBron sneakers, his “Legacy Wall” was also unveiled.
The LeBron XXIII “Uncharted” colorway was released during the event, which “salutes his stand-alone status as the greatest scorer of all time, because when you step into uncharted territory, it’s best to show up prepared.”
The Ateneo-La Salle matchup will be held this Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.