Ateneo acquires towering Kai Ballungay from California

Kai Ballungay fights for possession against Kai Sotto (tiebreakertimes.com)

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

As the off-season starts to unfold with the possibility of nearing the staging of the UAAP, the Ateneo Blue Eagles are still not done in solidifying their roster.

Now suiting up for the white and blue is the tall Kai Ballungay from Stanislaus State University in California.

Standing at six-foot-seven, head coach Tab Baldwin just added another intimidating post-player backstopping naturalized Ange Kouame in the roster.

Ballungay once played during the 2019 NBTC Finals under FilAm Sports and averaged an impressive 19.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks during the contest.

The Filipino-American played his high school ball at the Kimball High School in Tracy, California then rendered his services for the Division II school Stanislaus State.

However, Ballungay will have to sit out his first year with the Blue Eagles in accordance with the residency rule of the UAAP.

Newly transferred players are not allowed to play immediately and will have to be residents of their respective schools in their first year.