By Joshua Kyle Beltran
Despite being a strong contender for the league’s Best Foreign Student Athlete (FSA) award, Tamaraw Mo Konateh put his team first, banking on Far Eastern University (FEU) having what it takes to return to the Final Four and contend for the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 89 men’s basketball title.
“Our mindset this year has to be a champion mindset… We can make it happen; we are gonna make it happen. We just have to believe and trust the process and align our goals,” he shared in an online interview with FEU Advocate.
After the UAAP officially released the statistical point (SP) leaders at the end of round one last Tuesday, Konateh topped the standings with 78.429 SPs — averaging 13.86 markers, 11.4 rebounds, 2.43 assists, 2.57 blocks and 1.71 steals per match.
These numbers came as no surprise, as the Morayta big man has arguably been at his best as a steady presence on FEU’s frontline, highlighted by a career-high 29-point performance against Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU).
If the Gambian native continues to lead the stats by the end of the second round, he will be awarded Best FSA.
And make no mistake: head coach Sean Chambers never predicted Konateh would be the Season 89’s best FSA — he knew it all along.
“In the locker room, the message was: Are we who we think we are?… And with that, is Mo who we think he is? And I think he’s the best FSA here. He’s just continuing to get better from three years ago to what he’s doing now,” he said in the post-game conference following their win against AdMU.
But despite all the praise, Konateh stressed the importance of continuing to embrace his ‘all-around’ role, which he considers vital to the green-and-gold squad’s winning ways.
“My role in the team is like, be [the one] who’s gonna hold the team [together]... It’s gonna make them better, also make me better, and make the team successful,” he shared.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-10 center attributed his top SP ranking to the trust and encouragement he received from his coach and teammates.
“Thank you, Coach Sean, for trusting me like that. That’s all the work we put in practice, and my teammates pushing me every time to get better and better,” Konateh said.
FEU ended the first round with a 4-3 win-loss record, a significant improvement from its 2-5 sheet last Season 87.
With the second round of the UAAP men’s basketball tourney underway, Konateh and the Tamaraws seek to open their campaign with a win against Adamson University today, October 24, at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
(Photo by James Neil Tamayo/FEU Advocate)