Meet Elias Gish, the FEU rookie turning heads in UAAP basketball

THE FUTURE. Rookie Elias Gish proves to be a potential star for the FEU Tamaraws

UAAP

Elias Gish, a 6-foot-7 teenager from the Gilas Pilipinas Youth program, steadily stakes his claim for a future takeover of the contending FEU Tamaraws with his no-nonsense, defense-oriented play

AT A GLANCE

• The FEU Tamaraws are strong contenders in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament, with several key players contributing to their success.
• Elias Gish, an 18-year-old player, showed potential in a recent game against UE, scoring 13 points and earning praise from coach Sean Chambers.
• Despite limited playing time and muted averages, Gish is part of a championship-contending rotation, indicating a promising future for him in the league.

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MANILA, Philippines – Across 10 games in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament, the FEU Tamaraws have emerged as one of the upper-tier contenders in an ultra-competitive field still boasting seven possible Final Four candidates.

Much credit can go around when pinpointing the architects of this current surge from the men in Morayta, like coach Sean Chambers, star big man Mo Konateh, do-it-all forward Kirby Mongcopa, veteran sniper Jorick Bautista, and even struggling MVP Janrey Pasaol.

Elias Gish may not be a name that gets lumped together with the previous ones just yet, but signs are starting to show that his time in the spotlight may come sooner than later.

Last Wednesday, November 4, in a game against the hapless UE Red Warriors that became a tale of two halves, the 18-year-old project from California earned himself an extended leash, and certainly made the most of it.

In 22 minutes off the bench, the 6-foot-7 Gish tallied 13 points — including 8 points in the second half that saw FEU pull away from a threatening UE upset bid — on top of 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.

While playing against a Red Warriors squad with an ongoing 30-game losing streak is not exactly the best measuring stick of talent, the fact remains that Gish is a kid in a land of young men, and that he still earned respect from a legend like Chambers after his breakout showcase.

“[Gish] just turned 18 back in January and technically, a lot of kids here play in the 19-and-under division, but he’s such a phenomenal talent,” said the former PBA Best Import and six-time PBA champion.

“Today, I thought he was ready. He needs to get more responsibilities, and we saw that what he can do on the basketball court is phenomenal,” Chambers added of the oversized Gilas Youth guard.

Though Gish is nowhere near the Rookie of the Year race with muted averages of 4.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks in just a little over 14 minutes per game, he is still a consistent part of a championship-contending rotation, which says a lot of what is yet in store.

“I’m just playing my role, honestly. Whatever coach tells me to do, that’s my role, and I executed it today. I just got to be consistent every game and just keep getting reps in and working hard on the court,” Gish said.

“For me, obviously, it’s just been about adapting to everything here. Especially the system and league in general, it’s something I’m not used to compared to back in the States.”

The potential also shone through with the national team, as Gish recently averaged 5.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks in just 19 minutes per game in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup.

While it may take some more time for the Fil-Am prospect to get more playing time, especially as FEU jostles for Final Four position in the season’s home stretch, Gish’s complete rise now seems like a matter of when, not if, and fans should definitely stay tuned when that time comes.

Yet again, FEU continues to prove why it is truly a hotbed of rising Filipino talent with their acquisition of Gish, and why the 20-time champion Tamaraws are still the most successful program in UAAP men’s basketball history. – Rappler.com