ATENEO loaded up on its roster as it secured two Fil-Am talents on Monday.
The Blue Eagles announced the commitment of high-flyer Kai Ballungay and slasher Andrew Bongo as the reigning three-time UAAP champions continued to beef up their lineup ahead of the league's resumption.
Ballungay, 19, suited up for FilAm Sports USA in the National Basketball Training Center National Finals in 2019.
"The decision to commit to Ateneo is two years in the making," he said.
Ballungay, a 6-foot-7 forward, played one season for Cal State Stanislaus and posted 2.5 points on 47-percent shooting from the field, and 1.9 rebounds in 6.8 minutes in his rookie season for the Warriors.
He will be eligible to play for Ateneo starting in UAAP Season 85 and will have three more playing years.
Bongo, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-4 forward who recently graduated from Charter Oak High School in Covina, California where he averaged 22.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.3 steals.
He can play the full five years in the UAAP starting in UAAP Season 84.
Ateneo already features Fil-Ams Dwight Ramos and Chris Koon, naturalized Filipino center Ange Kouame, and Gilas Pilipinas members SJ Belangel and Geo Chiu.
Rightfully so, coach Tab Baldwin was ecstatic to welcome the two to the Blue Eagles camp.
"We're really excited, and these are both really high quality basketball players. They've proven themselves in the US at the high school level. A lot of people here haven't seen much of these guys, but obviously we're bringing more size into the program," he said.
"So it's very exciting to bring these talented kids into the program and I think it bodes well for not just next year and what we talked about the immediate future, but these young men have several years ahead of them contributing to the program and the program contributing to them."
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