Gilas Pilipinas Youth standout Zain Mahmood will join the UST Growling Tigers starting UAAP Season 87, strengthening the team’s frontcourt.
In his lone Gilas stint so far, Mahmood posted 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in the FIBA U18 Asian Championship held in Tehran, Iran last August 2022.
Standing at 6-foot-6, the 18-year-old Filipino-Canadian center will provide a much-needed boost to the Tigers’ frontline, which was its most glaring weakness this season following the departure of foreign student-athlete Adama Faye.
The Tigers ended Season 86 as the second-worst team in rebounds (41.5 per game) and blocks (2.64 per game).
Mahmood will be eligible to suit up for five years beginning Season 87 together with other recruits Forthsky Padrigao, Kyle Paranada, Geremy Robinson, Ashon Andrews and Leland Estacio.
The Growling Tigers are in the final stages of acquiring another recruit, with the announcement expected in the coming days, one UST coach told the Varsitarian.
