Believe the Hype: Romeo could be next Caguioa

MANILA, Philippines – Mark Caguioa finally saw up close GlobalPort’s young rookie Terrence Romeo, believed to be his second coming in the PBA.

Caguioa refused to be upstaged as he asserted himself in the endgame leading Brgy. Ginebra as it survived Romeo and Globalport, 109-104, in a thrilling shootout Thursday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Caguioa, a former PBA MVP, totalled 29 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 10-of-12 free throws.  Romeo, the reigning UAAP MVP, was not far behind with 27 points on 11-of-16 marksmanship and 4-of-5 clip at the line.

The hype was real. Watching the present against future was surreal.

The resemblance in their game starts with their flamboyance.  

Both possess the flair to the dramatic. Their jumpers come as automatic.  They are bonafide big-time scorers.

“From the way it looks right now, I think the comparison was valid,” Caguioa told reporters after emerging from the locker room.

“Terrence is a great scorer. The kid would have an off night, but he would find ways to score. As long as he keeps shooting, mayroong papasok diyan.”

Romeo electrified the crowd the way Caguioa did in his younger years. He was putting up jumpers, scoring on floaters and driving past defenders with ankle breakers.

In one of his biggest plays in the game, Romeo shook off Caguioa’s defense for a wide open layup that gave the Batang Pier a brief 93-91 lead after storming back from a 19-point hole.

“Sobrang saya ko nung nagawa ko yun, hindi ko maipaliwanag. Andun lang siya sa loob ng katawan ko,” Romeo said after the game.

“Pero siyempre, kahit anong mangyari, ma-shoot-an mo man siya wala pa ring magbabago. Mark Caguioa will always be Mark Caguioa,” added Romeo, who is a self-confessed Caguioa fan.  

The young rookie refused to be star struck on the court. So did Caguioa but can’t help to marvel at the former FEU Tamaraw like he’s watching a young version of himself.

“Nung fourth quarter, I asked him how old he is. Wow you’re only 21. I was 21 when I entered this league,” Caguioa told Philstar.com. “He has a bright future ahead of him.”

But that depends on how Romeo will grow his game.

“Back then, kung ano yung sinasabi ng mga tao na buwakaw, siyempre it’s part of growing up. Siyempre scorer ka bago pumunta dito sa liga eh. You have to show, then later on makikita na niya ang mga papasahan niya. Ganun talaga ang mga offensive-minded na talagang scorer,” Caguioa explained.

While Caguioa remains to be the top crowd drawer everytime the Kings play, he is happy to have someone following his footsteps.

“Kung napunta siya sa Ginebra, baka hindi natin nakikita pa ang capabities niya. It makes the league more balanced. Now, he’s bringing a lot of fans to GlobalPort,” Caguioa said of Romeo, who was picked after their other Ginebra rookie James Forrester.