CHICAGO - Last December 23, I penned an article about the strong possibility of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) playing without Mo Tounkara for Season 88 of the UAAP men's basketball tournament.
Some 53 days later, and after strong denials from the UST camp, signs have emerged to support the claim. And here's the most damning clue so far.
The 21-year-old foreign student athlete import has yet to return to campus where the Growling Tigers' practices have reportedly begun since the second week of January.
READ UST denies rumors of Mo Tounkara's departure
While star players' lengthy absences for required team functions are not uncommon, it is frowned upon especially when the infraction involves foreign student athletes because team offenses are usually built around them.
Unlike UP and La Salle, powerhouse teams that use FSAs in supporting roles, Tounkara was the main focus of the Tigers' offense which the 6-foot-8 Malian nourished with 13.4 points and 10.7 rebounds a game.
NO MO, NO GO.
Obviously, it's imperative for him to be in the Tigers' lair since Day One of their Season 88 preparations.
In the interim, I am told, UST has fielded a foreign player from the St. Clare College of Caloocan to reinforce the scrimmages and tune-up games.
While we all love happy endings and reunions soaked with tears of joy, the Tounkara-UST partnership appears headed towards a stunning break-up.
UP AND DOWN.
While Tounkara, a candidate for the Season 87 Mythical Team, has the ability to put up points in bunches, he hit 44.9 percent of his total field goals (76-of-169), 30.7 percent from 3-point range (12-of-39) and 63.1 percent from the free throw stripe (24-of-38).
Through 14 games in his rookie season, he crested at a career-high of 25 points and sank to a low of 5 points. In the Final Four stage where UST was dominated by eventual champion UP, Tounkara had eight points and eight rebounds while connecting only on 4 of 12 shots.
So what does the future hold for UST?
Led by the local powerhouse duo of Forthsky Padrigao and Nic Cabanero, the Tigers have enough bite to roar back to the Final Four.
But will Tounkara be a part of a streak of Tigers that will attempt to end an 18-year title drought?
Unlikely. But let's see.
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