Overtime

Blue Eagle snags another blue-chip—Fil-Am guard Chris Koon

Ateneo Basketball announced the addition of Chris Koon, the guard from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

/ 12 September 2020

The Blue and White continue to be a powerhouse with Koon on the court, but he has to sit out a year before being part of the Season 84.

In addition, according to Coach Baldin of Ateneo, this young man standing  6-foot-4 will be a great asset to the team.

“He’s a very smart player, very tough player,” coach Baldin shared.

Koon averaged 16.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game in his senior year with the Rolling Hills Prep.

He is also a  two-time John R. Wooden High School Player of the Year awardee, CIF-SS Division 5AA Player of the Year, Coastal League MVP, and MaxPreps All-State Division 5 First Team.

Moreover, Koon was already in the watch of the Blue Eagles as he was recruited during his high school year but decided to turn it down to play and transfer from  Rolling Hills Prep to CSPU for his freshman year.

But this time, Katipunan based squad was able to win over Koon after having visited the school last year and seeing the basketball program and culture.

Koon shared that his dream was to play overseas or maybe in the PBA and thought that Ateneo is the right battleground to hone his skills.

“… it just felt like the right place and just felt like the right time,” he said.

“Them winning three championships, it’s all pressure,” he added. “But it’s something that I definitely want. I want to win and with the winning culture that they have, it’s exciting.”

The 6-foot-4 also expressed his excitement to play with Dwight Ramos as they never got the chance to play together at Cal Poly Pomona.

Ramos got to play one year for the Broncos before moving to Katipunan.

“When I visited Pomona, I was able to see Dwight before he left. We got to knew each other on socials but never got in touch,” Koon said.

The two were able to talk via Zoom which according to Koon played a huge part in his decision to play for Ateneo.

“When I was thinking about it, Monch set up a Zoom call with Dwight and I was able to talk about it, talk about the lifestyle, and everything that goes through with coach Tab (Baldwin) and the players. It definitely helped on my decision.”

At the age of 19, Koon will be eligible to play five years in the Blue Eagles.