STRONG Group-Philippines bolstered its lineup for the upcoming 43rd William Jones Cup by signing Angelo Kouame and RJ Abarrientos for the tournament taking place from July 13 to 21, 2024, in Taipei.
Kouame and Abarrientos joined former Gilas mainstays Kiefer Ravena and Jordan Heading, Caelan Tiongson, and former San Miguel import Chris McCullough in the SGA team bound for Taiwan.
Kouame was initially eyed to join the Strong Group for the 2023 Dubai International Basketball Championship, was unable to participate due to a bout with dengue.
READ How Chris Ross helped Strong Group land McCullough for Jones Cup
Since then, the 6-foot-11 naturalized Filipino has been showcasing his talents in France with Nationale Masculine 1 club UB Chartres Métropole, where the UAAP Season 84 MVP averaged 10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 22 games.
“I know he’s improved a lot and has been healthy, so that’s a good sign. Whenever it comes to playing for the flag, Ange has always been willing," said Strong Group coach Charles Tiu.
This will mark Kouame’s third appearance in the Jones Cup, having previously played for Ateneo-Pilipinas in the 2018 edition and Rain or Shine last year.
Abarrientos is entering his second year with B.League team Shinshu Brave Warriors after spending his first season as a pro in the Korean pro league.
“Of course, I'm very excited because it's my first time on the team, and I'm eager to play with my kuyas and to represent our country again,” Abarrientos said.
“RJ was one of our first options for the point guard spot, but we had to wait until he got clearance from Japan and his agent to play,” said Tiu. “I always like guards who can score, so we are excited to have him on the team. When the opportunity to play for the country arose, he immediately said yes!”
After an impressive stint in the Korean Basketball League, where he won the Rookie of the Year award during the 2022-23 season, the 5-foot-11 guard moved out of Ulsan Hyundai Mobis to the Japanese league.
In his debut season with the Brave Warriors, Abarrientos averaged 7.8 points and 2.4 assists per game.
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