ATENEO is expecting Chris Newsome to make an immediate impact when the Blue Eagles bids for a sixth consecutive UAAP men’s basketball crown next season.
Newly appointed head coach Bo Perasol said Newsome is a major part of the Blue Eagles’ rebuilding plans following the end of the collegiate careers of seven-footer Greg Slaughter and starting forward Nico Salva.
Perasol said they have yet to undergo a major overhaul despite the exit of Slaughter and Salva and will rely solely on their current players and tho players waiting in the wings after fulfilling residency requirements.
“Sa ngayon, the main objective of the team is to squeeze out the best from out of what we have,” Perasol said. “We have no new players except those who had been in residency.”
One of those who have gone through residency is Newsome, a 6-foot-2 Filipino-American guard from New Mexico who has been with the team as early as 2011 when current Talk ’N Text coach Norman Black was still the Blue Eagles' coach.
Although he was not the person who recruited the former Rio Rancho High School star, Perasol expects Newsome to play a big role in their title bid while focus is still very much on incoming junior Kiefer Ravena.
“I wasn’t there when he started but I’m sure that he will be a big part of our campaign next season,” said Perasol.
Newsome had played college basketball for New Mexico Highlands University where the high-flying guard averaged 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in his final season with the team in 2011.
Newsome was also considered to play for Sinag Pilipinas in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia where the multi-titled Black led the squad to a gold medal finish.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
