UE looking good after getting Diakhite

Determined to bring back its glory days, University of the East took another big step towards that direction by securing the services of arguably the most dominant foreign student-athlete outside of the UAAP and NCAA circle.

After fielding an all-Filipino lineup for the last couple of years, the Red Warriors are set to get bigger and taller with the entry of 6-foot-9 Senegalese big man Adama Diakhite, who could provide them the inside presence that they’ve been sorely missing since Sierra Leone native Charles Mammie last suited up in 2014.

“He is a very big addition, literally and figuratively,” said UE’s first-year coach Joe Silva in a text message to Tempo-Bulletin yes- terday. “We now have that inside presence which all of the other UAAP teams have.”

The wide-bodied Diakhite, 21, earned raves when he played for the Diliman College in the fledging Universities and Colleges Basketball League last year, leading the Blue Dragons, handled by former pro Rensy Bajar, to a Final Four finish.

“His presence alone can give problems to the other teams being a force down low on offense and a rim protector on the defensive end,” added Silva of Diakhite, who will still have to undergo a oneyear residency before he can play for a maximum of three years.

Aside from Diakhite, Silva disclosed that they also have other key pieces waiting in the wings, led by 6-foot-4 Fil-Kiwi wingman Richie Rodger, former Ateneo big man John Apacible, exBlue Eaglet Brix Ramos and former Jose Rizal University wingman Abdul Sawat. If current star forward Alvin Pasaol will still play next year, the Red Warriors have enough tools to make a serious run for a Final Four slot and possibly for a coveted title which they last hoisted back in 1985 behind a formidable squad bannered by eventual pro league greats Allan Caidic and Jerry Codiñera.