Meralco turns to Ange Kouame as Justin Brownlee’s absence looms in EASL campaign

The Meralco Bolts may soon call on a familiar face to rescue their struggling East Asia Super League (EASL) campaign — naturalized Filipino big man Ange Kouame.

After dropping their second straight game, an 82-72 loss to the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots on Sunday in Taipei, the Bolts are now exploring lineup changes to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.

With Justin Brownlee still unavailable, coach Luigi Trillo hinted that the team could bring in another naturalized player — and all signs point to Kouame, who suited up for Meralco in last year’s EASL season.

“We’re waiting for Justin. He is our naturalized and he’s an option to play. But we have an option between him and another player who might come in, so we’re still not sure,” Trillo said after the game. “But he (Brownlee) would be a big help if he was here.”

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Kouame, who was instrumental in Ateneo’s UAAP championship runs and part of Meralco’s EASL lineup in 2023, could bring the interior defense, rebounding, and size the Bolts have sorely lacked in their first two outings.

Brownlee, meanwhile, has yet to make an appearance — either in practices or in games — despite being committed by his PBA mother team Barangay Ginebra to reinforce Meralco for the international tournament. The team had initially planned to pair him with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson for a dynamic import tandem.

Instead, the Bolts have been left scrambling for consistency as they fell to 0-2 in Group B, leaving them in danger of early elimination.

Trillo also revealed that the team is expecting new faces, including Iranian guard Sina Bahedi, to bolster their roster.

“Right now we have a couple of guys who are coming in. We have a player from Iran, (Sina) Bahedi, he’ll be playing, but we still have to decide on it,” said Trillo.

Meralco will get another shot at the Pilots when they meet again on Saturday in Ilagan, Isabela, in what could mark the team’s home debut of Kouame — should the move push through.

After that, the Bolts will host the Macao Black Bears on November 15, then face them again on December 6, before wrapping up their group stage against the Ryukyu Golden Kings on February 11.

With only the top two teams per group advancing to the playoffs, Meralco knows it needs an immediate boost — and the possible return of Ange Kouame might be the spark that reignites its EASL run. 

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