RP youth tryouts slated in Davao

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas resumes its nationwide search for future Olympic cagers when it holds a series of out-of-town tryouts starting in Zamboanga City Dec. 26-28.

National 13-under head coach Mark Herrera, together with his coaching staff and SBP National Youth Commission chairman Nic Jorge, will conduct the tryouts aimed to discover new talents to be added to the pool of the RP Youth team. 

The tryouts for Metro Manila and nearby provinces are over, but Herrera said he and his staff will also be holding other tryouts to discover new players from the south. 

“I am really excited to go to Zamboanga to see a new brand of ballgame. I have been getting a lot of requests from our brothers from other provinces in the south to visit them and check out their very talented players,” said Herrera, assistant coach of the PBL Burger King Stunners and head coach of two-time champion Talk ‘n Text team in the Jr. PBA league. 

After Zamboanga, Herrera’s coaching staff is heading off to Zambales to hold similar tryouts Jan. 2-4. Herrera said the next stop will be Davao and Cebu early next year. This will complete the first 48 players for the RP Youth 13-U pool.

“The tryouts in Metro Manila were very successful and I am hoping that we will find more kids who are willing to dedicate their talents to basketball. These kids will be the future of Philippine basketball and I am proud to be a part of their talent discovery,” Herrera said.