Femi Edu, Kristian Porter commit to Ateneo Blue Eagles

Femi Edu, Kristian Porter commit to Ateneo Blue Eagles

ATENEO has secured the commitments of promising prospects Femi Edu and Kristian Porter, who will be eligible to play for the Blue Eagles starting UAAP Season 87.

Femi, 18, is the younger brother of Gilas Pilipinas mainstay AJ. The Fil-foreign prospect stands 6-foot-4 and plays the guard position.

The 6-5 Kristian, 18, is the younger brother of former Blue Eagle Kris.

“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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The visit of Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin to the Edu family home in England last February played a significant role in his decision, the young guard said.

“That was certainly significant because it helped foster a relationship with Tab. My family really appreciated it,” added Edu, who will arrive in the country late June after graduating from Copleston High School in Ipswich. “It played a major role in my decision to choose Ateneo.”

Choosing Ateneo was an obvious choice for Porter, who attended Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu before transferring to Ateneo de Manila High School for senior high.

“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 Youth team that placed sixth in the FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship back in 2022.

Porter is excited to reunite with fellow Magis Eagles Jared Bahay, Michael Asoro, and Raffy Celis, as well as to play alongside former Gilas teammates Mason Amos, Kyle Gamber, Kobe Demisana, and Lebron Nieto at Ateneo.

“It warms my heart to see familiar faces from my past. Being able to play alongside them once again, especially on the collegiate stage, is nothing short of amazing. It makes me reminisce about our shared memories and reflect on our journey to where we are now,” expressed Porter, who will enroll in the school’s Interdisciplinary Studies program.

Baldwin welcome recruits

“It fills me with overwhelming happiness, and I can’t help but wear a smile from ear to ear. I genuinely hope that each and every one of us achieves our dreams and aspirations in the future.”

Baldwin is excited to have both Edu and Porter in his pool as they bring size to a Blue Eagles side that lost Kai Ballungay after Season 86.

“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 of Edu.

“As everyone knows, England’s a soccer-dominated culture. There’s experience and competition he needs to adapt to,” Baldwin added. “He is an outstanding young man from a good family, and we are excited to have him in our program.”

On the other hand, Baldwin sees Porter as someone who will make an immediate impact for the Blue Eagles.

Kristian Porter Ateneo UE

PHOTO: UAAP

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.

“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.

“Our goal with Kristian is to develop his physical attributes as well as his skills. As an undersized big man, we aim to expand his game and transition him towards the perimeter. He has to work really hard to achieve that, but his basketball IQ and skill level will allow him to be an impact player right away.”