Varsity players make up RP Pool B

Tasked to handle the national Pool B, coach Ching Ching Marcelino has come up with a competitive team for the Six Foot Junior Basketball Cup slated to start on Feb. 10 at the Lyceum Gym.

"This is a balanced team. It’s neither small nor tall," said Marcelino. "I believe my boys will deliver."

To be sponsored by Red Bull in the novel tournament conceptualized by FedEx chair Bert Lina, the National Pool B will be composed of players from the UAAP, NCAA and other school leagues.

Confined to players aged 18 years and under and are at least six-foot tall, the tournament will be participated in by six teams, each of which will be sponsored by a PBA team.

Tallest among Marcelino’s wards is 6-foot-5 Jason Olivarez, a prized find from Laguna.

Others in the fold are Adamson’s Gener Pandaan (6-3) and Daryl Bautista (6-1), San Sebastian College’s Mark Roldan (6-2) and Ere Oreta (6-1), FEU’s Charles Go (6-3), New Era’s JR Naguit (6-3), Xavier’s Paul Chua (6-3), CDSL’s Jericho Puno (6-1), CDSL High School’s Ryan Arana (6-2), La Salle Greenhills’ RB Maliksi (6-2), SSC-Cavite’s Raymart Panes and UPHR’s Michael Antonio (6-2).

"These young players are very lucky today to have a godfather in the person of Bert Lina. We don’t have one during our time," said Marcelino, a former national youth player himself.

"I believe that we can produce six-foot and above point guards through this tournament," added Marcelino, a former assistant coach of the Laguna Lakers in the defunct MBA and currently assistant coach of the Philippine Youth team.

Also entered in the tournament sanctioned by the Basketball Association of the Philippines are selections from the NCRAA, UCAA, CUSA and the National Pool A and National Pool B.