La Salle big man Mike Phillips had the undesirable assignment of guarding UST rising rookie Collins Akowe in the UAAP men's basketball Saturday, Sept. 27.
Mike Phillips had a lot of good things to say about University of Santo Tomas rookie Collins Akowe after the La Salle veteran was put to the test in their first round encounter in UAAP Season 88 men's basketball.
Phillips, playing in his final year with the Green Archers, raved about battling Collins inside the paint, even as he ended up losing the individual head-to-head against the rising star.
The Growling Tigers won, 93-84, against DLSU to show that they are the real deal after also beating defending champion University of the Philippines just six days ago.
[RELATED STORY: UST fuels title contender tag with another huge win over La Salle in UAAP Season 88]
“You know, [it’s a] very, very exciting matchup. One of the things I really like about Akowe [is that] not just because he’s big, it doesn’t give an excuse for him not to be mobile,” Phillips told the press after the match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
“His motor is very high. And that’s a really dangerous combo: when you have a person of that size, but also that effort, energy and motor.”
After dominating against reigning titlist University of the Philippines, Akowe tested his mettle against better opposition in Phillips.
Still, that did not stop the UST big man from producing 20 points and 19 rebounds.
[RELATED STORY: Cabañero tempers expectations after UST’s 2-0 start in UAAP Season 88: ‘It’s too early’]
Phillips lists Akowe's good qualities
For Phillips, it was even more difficult that Akowe was not one to get rattled easily, even as a newbie.
“Maybe his patience,” Phillips said of the hardest part of guarding Akowe.
“He's good. His footwork is good. And his pace is good,” he continued.
La Salle's Mike Phillips aims for the basket against Collins Akowe of UST. | Photo: UAAP
Phillips acknowledged that, like him, Akowe was a dominant big man who also knew when to pass the ball and share the ball with his teammates.
He thus praised the Nigerian’s ability to involve his teammates every chance he gets.
“He knows how to find his teammates, too. He has a passing ability. That's something that's also a dangerous combo,” Phillips said.
Compared to Akowe, Phillips was a half-step slow.
But he still finished with a respectable stat line of eight points, 15 rebounds and four assists in La Salle’s first loss against UST in a decade.
The Green Archers (1-1) will aim to bounce back against Far Eastern U at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Wednesday, Oct. 1.
Meanwhile, Akowe and Co. will continue to guard their home turf against National U in the other game.
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Luisa Morales is a sportswriter with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team and mixed martial arts.