Former Blue Eagle soars high in big man’s game

Very few people saw the potential of Enrico Villanueva when he first crashed into the league.

As a college standout for Ateneo, he was nothing more than an oversized kid bullying the rest of the little boys. In the pros, he was snubbed by teams that badly needed a center.

But the Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference is starting to reveal a different Enrico Villanueva.

Here, in this transition tournament, the Red Bull Gameboy is starting to remind experts of another player.

Clue: Two-time Most valuable Player awardee. Fierce competitor on the court and jolly giant comic off it.

Enrico Villanueva is starting to show people glimpses of Benjie Paras.

"It’s flattering but I really have a long way to go before I can even match his accomplishments," said Villanueva.

But it is not the sterling credentials of the PBA great that Villanueva reminds people of. It is the style and charisma they bring to the game that is similar.

Like Paras, Villanueva is a gangling player relying on brute force to get his way underneath. He is a warrior, and even almost came into blows with such big men as Alaska’s Ali Peek because of his tough style of play.

And like Paras, Villanueva is a comic off the court, often subjecting friends and teammates to jokes.

"He’s a great person to be around with," said close friend and teammate Topex Robinson.

Villanueva’s mouth may get him into trouble sometime, like the time he called Purefoods point guard Rob Johnson an unflattering name during the preseason players’ conference. But sometimes, it’s just the naughtiness in him that comes out.

On the court, he lets his game do the talking.

In just his second year, he has been inserted into the starting unit of the Barakos and usually plays during the crucial endgame stretches, proof only of coach Yeng Guiao’s faith in him.

Villanueva is planning to go beyond basketball. In fact, he is eyeing to star in a comedy show in ABC-5 soon. Chalk up another similarity between the league’s Gameboy and its former great.