HE was a big basketball name that buzzed in the grapevine of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) circles in the 2016-2017 season. A big, dominating star of the other collegiate league, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) out of the University of Perpetual Help System Altas.
He was a member of the NC’s Mythical Five in 2015 and an All-Star Most Valuable Player in 2016, with the reputation of being a powerhouse, a monster at the game, a hulking presence particularly in the paint. He averaged 17 points, 12.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 assists for Perpetual in the NCAA.
Several UAAP schools pursued him, among them Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle. But in January 2017, he chose to move to the University of the Philippines (UP), which surprised everyone. Some said it was his good relationship with UP Fighting Maroons Coach Bo Perasol, that was the deciding factor. Bright said prayer helped him decide to go to UP.
Well, looks like the decision was good for both Akhuetie and UP. The Big Man has helped to bring the Fighting Maroons to long uncharted territory: The Final Four. In turn Akhuetie’s talent and efforts have been rewarded with something really big for him, game-wise. He is Season 81 MVP and a member of his new league’s Mythical 5—a constant double-double artist. His UAAP numbers pre-Final Four are : 18.86 points and 14.64 rebounds and a total of 82.5 statistical points, which led UP to a third-seed finish at the end of eliminations.
Most of us know what Bright Akhuetie is as an athlete. But not many know what he is as a student. Is he as bright as his name? Is he as dominant as his game?
The answer is yes. While serving his residency in UP’s Diliman campus in UAAP Season 80, Bright was a fulltime student who attended all his classes, got to know fellow students, soaked in the sylvan delights of the UP Campus and hanged out in all the famous haunts of UPD, including its famous Eat Street—popularly known as Area 2. There, Bright sampled the quirky fare that fueled UP Iskos and Iskas (short for Iskolar ng Bayan) in their daily campus life. Here’s a sample platter of a fun menu: Iskomai (siomai), Iskoramble (the iced treat known as scramble), Pan Tea (pandan tea), Siomai Egg (siomai with quail egg), Pot Pots (mojo potatoes) and LB Fruit Shakes (Lutong Bahay shakes), among others.
Despite his basketball stature in the leagues, Bright was a regular student in UP. “He would attend his classes regularly and recited well in class”, said Keith Magcaling, his classmate in Sports Science 100. “He’s not bookish or anything. In fact he’s makulit, loves to crack jokes, make funny comments and he puts everyone at ease. He doesn’t act like he’s a big man on campus even if he is.”
“He’s a really smart fella,” continued Keith. “Once we had a group report to do and Bright didn’t have a group yet. We took him in on the spot and just gave him an overview of what our report would be. He was able to present right then and there and he made very good sense. We, his group mates and the professor were impressed.”
Bright Akhuetie, in fact, is a college scholar—the equivalent of a dean’s lister in other schools. He works hard for the grades, attending practice twice a day and gets no allowances from his professors. He takes on his share of quizzes, papers, reports, exams and extra assignments. Like former UP Fighting Maroons basketball captain JR Gallarza and UP Women’s Volleyball captain Kathy Bersola before him, he plans to graduate with honors. “Education is what everybody should fall back on so that is why I want to graduate with honors because getting that from UP is wow!” he said in an earlier interview.
Teammate Janjan Jaboneta #17 gives his own two cents on Bright: “You can always count on him. If you have a problem, he’s like our kuya on the team. He wants everybody to contribute, especially ’yung players who aren’t used much. Gusto niya ipakita nila ang galing nila tapos siya ang parating nagsasabi sa akin na wag akong matatakot magkamali kasi alam niya magaling ako. Pag alam niya may mali sa amin, sinasabihan niya at prangka siya sa tao. Pagdating sa laro, wala akong masabi kasi utak at puso ang laro niya. Ayaw niya matalo. Malaking bagay na dumating siya sa team kasi siya ang missing piece ng UP sa loob ng 21 years.”
Guard Jarrell Lim adds his own take on Season 81’s MVP : “He’s a great teammate. He is a leader on and off the court. It’s easy to get along with him because he knows when to be serious and when to be silly. That’s what I like about him. Bright pushes you to your limit and brings you up when you’re struggling. He is also down to earth. He has never boasted about any of his stats or achievements. What people don’t know is that he works hard for his family back in Nigeria. You will never see Bright eating in fancy restaurants. He always eats in Area 2 because he thinks about his family a lot. I also heard he’s doing great in his studies. He is a consistent college scholar who always attends his classes. His professors can attest to that.”
Now that the Fighting Maroons have achieved their goal of being in the Final Four, Akhuetie has often been referred to as the messiah who brought his team there. But Bright is quick to downplay the importance and contributions of foreign players to a team. “Isang tao lang ’yon, hindi niya kayang lumaban sa lima,” he says in fluent Tagalog. “The whole team must play and contribute together in order to win.”
Bright Akhuetie and the UP Fighting Maroons now face the biggest test of their inspiring season as they begin their Final Four campaign on Saturday, November 24. Finishing third, they will have to defeat second-place Adamson twice in order to open the door to a bigger dream only the 1986 team of Ronnie Magsanoc, Eric Altamirano and Benjie Paras have last experienced.
Will he lead this promising team and its long-suffering faithful to the Promised Land? “No promises,” he says in his typical low key way. “All I promise is to give it my best every day. We’ll take it one step at a time. But yes, we’re one step closer to our dream which is to win a championship. But we’ll just take it one step at a time.”
So. The present seems already bright for the denizens of Diliman, but who knows? The near future could be even brighter for Mr. Bright Akhuetie and his brother Maroons.
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