Quiambao ready for wing position with Strong Group

MANILA, Philippines -- With the Strong Group Athletics (SGA) team loaded in the frontcourt, UAAP MVP and champion Kevin Quiambao will be playing a wing position in the upcoming 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship.

The six-foot-seven Quiambao primarily played the power forward position as he dominated the UAAP Season 86 play for the La Salle Green Archers.

This time around, in an international competition, he will be playing the wing position.

"As early as December, Coach Charles [Tiu] already told me that I could not play the four here, because in the international level, I am really a wing," Quiambao told reporters in Filipino.

"So, Coach Charles told me that I have to develop the skills every day and work on what I have to adjust coming from a power forward, I will become a wing," he added.

In the eliminations of the UAAP Season 86, the hardworking Quiambao had averages of 16.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.9 steals.

This gave the soft-spoken Green Archer was then named as the first local UAAP MVP since Kiefer Ravena.

In the best-of-three UAAP Finals classic, Quiambao averaged 14.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 blocks against the UP Fighting Maroons.

This stellar performance helped give La Salle its first championship in seven years.

"Whatever the instructions given by Coach Charles, I will just take advantage every time," Quiambao said.

SGA has a number of big men shoring up the frontline for the Dubai tourney.

Aside from NBA veterans Dwight Howard and Andray Blatche, the team also has 6-foot-6 forward Allen Liwag and 6-foot-9 center Justine Baltazar.

Quiambao, who also played point forward in the UAAP, said he will just be ready to help with whatever he could.

"I think, in our team, we have a lot of facilitators so I will just stay ready to do what I can for the team."