ATENEO lost one cornerstone in its rebuild, as burly big Kristian Porter informed school officials and team management about his decision to exit his first and, thus far, only alma mater.
"This was a really tough decision. Ateneo has always been home to me, but I had to make this choice. I believe it's a necessary step for my personal growth," he said through a statement released by the Blue Eagles after a final round of discussions with team manager Epok Quimpo on Monday.
The 19 year old was a standout for Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu before transferring to Ateneo HS where he also starred for the Blue Eaglets. He then committed to move up to the Blue Eagles and posted per game counts of 6.6 points and 6.9 rebounds as a rookie in UAAP Season 87.
Porter made it clear, however, that he has no ill will towards the blue-and-white.
As he put it, "There's no discontentment at all. I'm just looking for personal growth and a change of scenery. That's really what this is about."
"I'm really thankful for everything. To boss MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan), my coaches, teammates, professors, and managers, thank you for the opportunities and lessons."
What he did admit was how balancing academics and athletics proved to be a tall task, as he had to turn his full attention to his studies come the second semester to try meet the Jesuit educational institution's high standards.
Together with fellow Cebuano Jared Bahay, the 6-foot-5 big was rightfully viewed as a building block for Ateneo's comeback to contention following a last-place, 4-11 campaign.
Blue Eagle leaves nest
Now, Porter appears to be headed to a rival, according to several sources monitoring the situation.
Whether that be modern-day fierce foe the University of the Philippines or archrival La Salle, or even resurgent University of Santo Tomas, remains to be seen, as what's certain is that there have only been informal and initial talks.
If the Ateneo lifer does transfer to another UAAP school, he will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the upcoming Season 88.
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.
