MANILA, Philippines -- After playing through a knee injury in UAAP Season 85, Ateneo de Manila University center Ange Kouame is finally set to undergo surgery.

Kouame was diagnosed with a meniscal sprain and a partial ACL tear in June, shortly after the conclusion of the UAAP Season 84 men's basketball tournament. The injury kept him from playing in the FIBA Asia Cup and the third window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.

He was not at 100% throughout the UAAP season but missed no games for the Blue Eagles, averaging 12.61 points, 11.28 rebounds, and 2.61 blocks in 18 games. He saved his best for last, too: Kouame was virtually unstoppable in their three-game finals series against the University of the Philippines (UP), putting up 17.7 points on 50% shooting, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game.

"I feel amazing. I've been dreaming of this moment for so long, and it finally happened," Kouame said after their 75-68 win in Game 3 that brought the UAAP title back to the hands of the Blue Eagles.

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The naturalized center was the deserving winner of Finals Most Valuable Player honors, and was showered with adoration by the Ateneo crowd that packed the Araneta Coliseum on Monday night.

But basketball will be put on hold for Kouame in the coming months, as he turns his attention to recovering from his injury.

"I'm getting surgery. And the rest, I'll leave it to God, because only God has the answer," Kouame said when asked what's next for him. "I'm going home tonight and it's still gonna hurt. I can barely walk properly. It's part of it."

Kouame is still determined to pursue a professional career, likely abroad. Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin has no doubt that their beloved center is "gonna be good enough to play as an import."

• READ: Kouame concludes glittering career with Finals MVP
• READ: Ateneo holds off UP to regain UAAP men's basketball crown

"We'll have to try and figure out, help him with his future. Maybe in Europe," Baldwin suggested. "I don't know, maybe somebody in Japan will think he's good enough to play an import role over there."

"[He] still got some work to do on his offensive game. But he's gonna be a pro, and he's gonna be a pro for another 10, 12 years," the coach added.

Kouame himself is not yet thinking about where he will play next; the Ivory Coast-big man is facing at least five months on the sidelines and he wants to be at his best when he returns to the game. But the thought of playing abroad, perhaps in Europe, is an attractive prospect.

"I don't wanna think about it right now, honestly. I'll try to get right, 100% first before I start to think where I'm gonna head," said Kouame.

"But I wanna go to Europe because of the style of game, and everything. If at the end of the day, I end up in Japan, I'm still gonna be thankful and grateful," he added.

Kouame will leave Ateneo with an armful of trophies, having won Rookie of the Year honors in Season 81, the MVP trophy in Season 84, and the Finals MVP in Season 85. He helped Ateneo win three UAAP crowns and was naturalized as a Filipino citizen in 2021.

UAAP Season 85 is streaming on iWantTFC every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, available for Premium users outside the Philippines.

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