Eager Ahanmisi set to return for final year after lost season

MANILA, Philippines – The Adamson Soaring Falcons met an unceremonious end to their UAAP Season 82 campaign after they got booted out from Final Four contention against the FEU Tamaraws on Wednesday, October 23. 

With the Falcons now holding a dismal 4-8 record, this marks the first time the San Marcelino stars failed to make the playoffs in 3 years under coach Franz Pumaren.

Amid a slew of young stars like AP Manlapaz and Aaron Fermin gaining experience from a lost season, one key veteran has decided to give his collegiate career one last run for next year: Jerrick Ahanmisi. 

“Yeah, I’m playing my final year,” the fourth-year guard quickly confirmed after the tough loss. “However the outcome goes, I’m just gonna give it my all next year.” 

Fresh off winning Mythical Five honors last season after averaging 17.5 points and 4 rebounds on an efficient 42% clip from the field and 39% from three, the Fil-Nigerian star noticeably regressed this time around. 

Prior to tallying 10 points on a 3-of-19 shooting in the sorry loss against FEU, Ahanmisi dropped his numbers to just 14.2 markers per game on 36% shooting and 31% from downtown. 

Although Pumaren thought that the added pressure of a leadership role got to his ward, Ahanmisi thought otherwise. 

“I don’t really think I had any pressure on me,” he said. “It’s just that I didn’t perform as well as I was supposed to. It cost us, as you guys saw, in the losses that we had.” 

Although the prospect of avenging their playoff fallout last year is now out of the question, Ahanmisi is just looking at the positives as the current season winds down. 

“The season went alright,” he said. “It didn’t go as planned but we still got two games left and we just gotta finish the season out strong.” – Rappler.com