UAAP hotshots top-bill Under-16 national team
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/04/2009 7:31 PM
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MANILA -- UAAP basketball’s top junior standouts will reinforce a crack national youth team which vies in the 1st FIBA Asia U-16 Championship slated in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on November 19 to 29.
The Nokia under-16 national team has enlisted Season 72 Finals MVP Keifer Ravena of back-to-back juniors champion Ateneo along with fellow Eaglets Von Pessumal and Paolo Romero, Rookie of the Year Kevin Ferrer and Cedrick Labing-isa of UST and Nestor Bantayan (Adamson), Cris Tolomia (FEU) and Gabriel Reyes (La Salle-Zobel).
Tolomia, brother of ex-PBA player Chester, donned the Baby Tamaraws jersey last season while Reyes is yet to suit up for the Junior Archers in the UAAP.
Ravena led the Eaglets in scoring (20.6 ppg), rebounding 7.4 rpg) and assists (3.8 apg) while getting valuable support from Romero (4.9 ppg and 6.6 rpg) and Pessumal (6.4 ppg and 5.1 rpg).
Ferrer averaged 12.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists while Labing-isa logged in 9.9 markers and 4.2 feeds an outing for the Tiger Cubs. Bantayan meanwhile paced the league in blocks with 3.5 denials a game aside from norming 11.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest.
With former UP Maroon and current National Basketball Training Center director Eric Altamirano calling the shots, the Nationals are expected to go all-out against the best U16 teams in the region, led by powerhouse China which plays Myanmar, India and Jordan in Group A.
The Philippines will see action in Group B against Japan, Kazakhstan and Bahrain. Korea heads Group C together with Singapore, Syria, Kuwait and Malaysia while Iran, Chinese-Taipei, Thailand and Saudi Arabia compose Group D.
The winner of the ten-day competition will troop to Hamburg, Germany for the 2010 FIBA Under-17 World Championship.
Prior to their Malaysian joust, the Filipinos will undergo an acid test when they compete in the 2nd Nokia Pilipinas Youth Invitational basketball championships on November 5 to 8 in Cebu City against fellow FIBA U16 championship-bound squads Iran, Chinese-Taipei and Japan.
The top two finishers in the single round robin elimination will meet to determine the champion of the four-day tourney.
The Filipinos seek to chalk up their first win against Japan on Wedneday before colliding with Chinese-Taipei the following day and Iran on November 7.
The under-16 crew will also draw strength from Xavier stalwart Jeron Teng, brother of Season 72 Rookie of the Year Jeric Teng of UST; Michael Pate and Rene Sta. Maria of La Salle-Greenhills; Dan Sara and Raf Nayve of San Beda; Angelo Alolino (Perpetual); Jeoff Javillonar (RTU); Prince Caperal (Arellano); and Emmanuel Bonleon (Holy Child of Davao). By Anthony Divinagracia
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