Ateneo Blue Eagles’ newest recruit Femi Edu and Kristian Porter. –HANDOUT PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Femi Edu and Kristian Porter have committed to Ateneo with the two eligible to play for the Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament in September.
Ateneo on Thursday announced the commitment of the 6-foot-4 Femi, the younger brother of Gilas Pilipinas stalwart AJ Edu, and 6-foot-5 Porter, who plays at forward.
“I’ve heard many positive things about the school, both academically and otherwise. I simply want to be a part of that,” said Edu, who is planning to enter the school’s Computer Science program.
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Edu, who will arrive in June after his graduation from Copleston High School in Ipswich, also said that coach Tab Baldwin’s visit to his family last February played a significant role in his decision.
“That was certainly significant because it helped foster a relationship with Tab. My family really appreciated it,” he said. “It played a major role in my decision to choose Ateneo.”
Porter, the brother of former Blue Eagle Kris, attended Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu before transferring to Ateneo de Manila High School for senior high.
Porter is a two-time UAAP High School Boys’ Basketball Mythical Team member. During his senior year, he put up numbers of 18.08 points, 15.46 rebounds, and 2.23 steals per game.
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“Throughout my entire school life, I’ve been an Atenean. From Ateneo de Cebu to Ateneo de Manila, so you could say I bleed blue. Continuing this tradition into my college years brings me immense joy,” said Porter, who was part of the Gilas Boys’ team that placed sixth in the Fiba Under-18 Asian Championship in 2022.
After losing Kai Ballungay, Porter and Edu will bolster the roster as the former reunites with fellow Magis Eagles Jared Bahay, Michael Asoro, and Raffy Celis, as well as former Gilas teammates Mason Amos, Kyle Gamber, Kobe Demisana, and Lebron Nieto.
Baldwin is pleased to handle the younger Edu after coaching AJ at GIlas a few years ago.
“Obviously, we are excited. He’s a good young player, an excellent athlete with good size. The challenge he probably needs to overcome as quickly as possible is transitioning from the England style of basketball to ours,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin is also looking forward to developing Porter, whom he expects to make an immediate impact on the Blue Eagles.
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“We’re really happy with Kristian being part of the program. He will be an impact player very quickly,” Baldwin said. “We need depth in our frontline, and he provides that. He is going to play significant minutes for us. I love his basketball IQ.
