After five fruitful years, Ange Kouame ends his Blue Eagle journey

When Ange Koaume (AB Interdisciplinary Studies 2023) entered Ateneo de Manila University and joined the Blue Eagles Men's Basketball Team, both the Ivorian and the University were taking a gamble. At the time, Kouame had mostly only played 3-a-side street basketball in his native country, making his recruitment risky.

But the team's coaching staff, including consultant-turned-head coach Tab Baldwin, saw something in Kouame that was worth gambling on, and that gamble eventually paid off. Now, 5 years since the day he first laced up for the team, Ange Kouame leaves the halls of Ateneo having achieved multiple accolades, all while helping the Blue Eagles win 3 UAAP championships.

Growing up in his hometown of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the young Kouame was initially more into football—the more popular sport in the country. It was a gift of a basketball jersey from his father that kindled his interest in the sport. Following his father's passing in 2012, he committed to playing basketball to cope with his loss. He would later say, in an interview with the Guidon, that his late father was “the reason why I play basketball.”

Looking to pursue a basketball career, Kouame decided to take a chance and move to the Philippines to study at Ateneo under a student-athlete scholarship, following the suggestion of a friend.

It was here that coach Tab Baldwin, then a team consultant for the Blue Eagles, saw something in the young center, despite his seeming lack of fundamentals and training in traditional, 5-on-5 basketball.

"You know we’re talking about a young man who has a lot of gifts physically, but he had very little training and fundamentals of the game of basketball," Baldwin said about Kouame in an interview with Rappler back in 2018. 

Now, as he leaves the University's halls, Kouame does so having paid back Baldwin and the team's belief in him. Through his work ethic both on the court and in the classroom—including studying for a year at Multiple Intelligence International School to learn English before formally entering Ateneo—Koaume became one of the most decorated players in recent memory.

Not only did he help the Blue Eagles win multiple championships, but Kouame also garnered multiple accolades in the process including UAAP Rookie of the Year, UAAP Mythical Team member, UAAP Most Valuable Player, and UAAP Finals MVP. 

What started as a gamble ended up as one of the most fruitful college basketball careers. And with his graduation, Ateneo wishes Kouame—and all graduating student athletes—the best as he embarks on his professional career, confident that his time in Ateneo has prepared him for future greatness.

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