IT’S like watching the future playing out before your eyes. A time travel of sorts or a peak into a crystal ball.
High school basketball has been going full blast at the Filoil Eco Oil Arena in San Juan City since January and will be playing out till March. It is also in play at the Emilio Aguinaldo College Gym.
The crowd is way less than in the men’s basketball tournament. The smaller arena can only accommodate one snare and one base drum to provide the trademark sound and thunder of collegiate basketball.
Too, many of the athletes are gangly, awkward, or way too short. The taller, heftier, amply muscled species in the 12th grade who are at most 19 years old stand out, with some teams having the monopoly of these physically college-ready players.
But the excitement of this younger tournament is not to be pooh-poohed. This is after all the “bridge tournament”—the junior version of the seniors tournament that basketball addicted fans rely on to appease their hoops hunger when the men’s tournament is over. They then feed their appetite some more when the pre-season games begin. (In fact, a pre-season tournament, Pinoy Liga—which features the Teams B of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and NC Double A schools—is already in progress.) By that time the next men’s tournament is set to begin. And they have survived from season to season.
But we digress. UAAP High School Basketball and the Juniors Tournament of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are in the spotlight at this time of year and are a must-watch. NCAA juniors action is televised by GMA from Tuesday to Saturday. Unfortunately, the UAAP version has no TV coverage.
Both leagues are premier resources for future stars of the collegiate leagues, the local pro league and now, even the other Asian pro basketball leagues. Names that sound unfamiliar at present to mainstream basketball fans will be new basketball idols and household names a few years from now.
Consider these names that are buzzing around in basketball circles. Seven Gagate from La Salle Greenhills. Andy Gemao from San Juan De Letran. King Pablo from LSGH. Lebron Jhames Daep from University of Perpetual Help System DALTA.
Trust that they won’t stay unfamiliar for too long, starting when they transition into the collegiate or seniors leagues and make names for themselves under the bright lights.
In the UAAP, watch out for these high school players in the near or distant future.
The tall and solid Baby Tamaraws have John Rey Pasaol, younger brother of Meralco’s Alvin Pasaol and Dwyne Miranda, son of Far Eastern U head coach and former collegiate champion Denok Miranda.
The also lengthy National University Bulldogs have two guards dizzying up their opponents: point guard Reinhard Jumamoy from Cebu and shooting guard RJ Colonia.
For the Adamson Baby Falcons, Vince Reyes and Peter Rosillo can both load up their stat sheets with points, rebounds, assists and steals all in one game.
Look for the two M’s when watching De La Salle Zobel. Aljun Melecio’s younger brother Junjun is a deadshot like his Kuya. Tall and hefty Rhyle Melencio is a factor in the paint.
The University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs have sweet shooting James Jumao-as and all-around Mark Llemit (who can score, rebound, assist, block and steal) in their arsenal.
As for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, another Nieto brother—Lebron—is giving them strength and a steady game. Kristian Porter, brother of PBA player Kris, can shoot and is a menacing presence down under.
The UP Fighting Maroons have one rising star, 6-foot-8 tall, 17-year old Kobe Demisana, a Jr. NBA All-Star who represented the country in the Jr. NBA Global Championship. Diminutive Rocco Melicor may be too small for the pros, but he’s making waves for UP in the high school league.
Joachim Andrei De Leon and Vhon Roldan are the names to remember for the University of the East Baby Warriors.
Remember. Before Carl Tamayo, Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena, Kevin Quiambao, Mark Nonoy, Evan Nelle, Baser Amer, Ricci Rivero, Kai Sotto, RJ Abarrientos and many others became big basketball stars, they were the reigning stars in a young galaxy not so far away.
If you want to enjoy tomorrow’s basketball today, check out juniors basketball right now. It’s one way to enjoy the stars better, longer. And a good way to think young.