ANTIPOLO CITY, Philippines – Prince Ibeh admitted he did not meet his own expectations even after helping NorthPort hand Alaska a 22-point beating in the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday, May 22. 

The 6-foot-10 import did well in his PBA debut as he put up 19 points on a 9-of-14 shooting to go with 13 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. 

But Ibeh knows he can deliver more, just like what Batang Pier coach Pido Jarencio expects. 

“I want to see more from myself. My expectations are higher than the performance that I had today,” he told reporters after the game. 

Ibeh struggled to get his shots as he was limited to just 4 points in the first half before finding his niche with 15 points in the final two quarters – with 10 coming in the 3rd period alone. 

His slow start probably had a lot to do with him acclimating himself with the Philippine style of play as he was coming off a stint in Japan with the Yokohama B-Corsairs of the B. League. 

“It’s similar to Japan except the locals here are lot more athletic and quicker, whereas in Japan it was more set shooters and spacing,” Ibeh said of the PBA. 

“Just got to get used to the pace and going back up and down, which is something different from Japan.” 

Jarencio praised Ibeh for his defensive presence. 

“Kahit papano, intimidating sa loob. Laki. Haba ng kamay. Tapos he’s getting the rebounds. ‘Pag binigyan mo ng drop pass, nakakakuha ng finish. Siguro, mag-i-improve pa ‘yan,” Jarencio said. 

(At least he’s intimidating inside. He’s big and has long arms. He’s also getting the rebounds. When you give him the drop pass, he finishes it. He’ll probably improve.) – Rappler.com