Kai Sotto’s presence brought out ‘competitive streak’ in Ange Kouame, says Tab Baldwin

Ange Kouame has been a dominant force in collegiate basketball ever since he first donned the Ateneo de Manila jersey three years ago.

Kouame, standing at 6-foot-10, was named as UAAP Rookie of the Year in Season 81. In his sophomore year, he was an integral piece in the Katipunan-based squad's 16-0 run to the title, which was the Blue Eagles' third straight championship.

His impressive performances put him on track to be tapped as a naturalization candidate for the Philippine men's national basketball team, and he is now part of the Gilas Pilipinas pool preparing for a number international competitions.

But while few players in the country are capable of really pushing Kouame, there was a recent challenger that was able to bring the best out of him – a certain 7-foot-3, 18-year-old by the name of Kai Sotto.

Gilas Pilipinas program director and Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin shared this story from their experience in the national team's bubble in Calamba, Laguna earlier this year.

"One interesting thing [about Ange] was what we saw when Kai came into camp, we saw an elevated competitive streak, I guess you would say," Baldwin said in an interview with GMA News Online.

"It was good to see and we admonished Ange for that. We said, 'Why don't you play at that level everyday regardless of who your opponent is?' and he accepted that. He saw that he was more motivated and more competitive."

And while the pandemic – with the suspension of group trainings and competitive games – has somewhat slowed the development of Kouame, Baldwin said that this most recent camp allowed them to make strides on that front.

"In this bubble, I thought he did a better job and day to day we got the best out of Ange."

Baldwin also sees a bright future for the possible frontcourt tandem of Kouame and Sotto.

"I think you'll see that both of them, in the coming years, will be able to play both inside and out. It's going to, I think, create some interesting problems for our future opponents and it's gonna create a lot of enjoyment for our other Filipino players that play alongside these guys that have this versatility," he said.

Kouame has been a part of the Gilas training pool since November 2020. He is a candidate for naturalization after both chambers of Congress approved the measures granting him Filipino citizenship.

Sotto, on the other hand, joined the Gilas camp for the supposed final window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. However, after its cancellation, the teen sensation flew back to the US, but no longer rejoined Ignite, his NBA G League team.

If circumstances allow, both Kouame and Sotto could be a part of the Gilas Pilipinas team which will compete in the final window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers and the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. —JMB/GMA News