Paid in full: Kevin Alas goes full circle with Sinag success

I don’t know how to begin on this one. But one thing I know, I’ve been very hard and very critical of some college basketball players to the point of sounding like a hater, which we are really not. We’re just, as we put it, overly passionate and overly critical of young kids who are looking like they are wasting away the height and skills that were not blessed to me, a loyal and consummate student of the game.

I’ve written how Bobby Ray Parks is like an automatic car, no clutch.

I’ve had my moments about Bro. Even up to now, since hey, FEU bud.

There’s Calvin Abueva and his needless thuggery way back when he was a Stag.

Heck, I even railed against Ronnie Magsanoc’s deviation from the San Beda Red Lions’ running game.

But if there’s one guy I’ve been really hard with regards to his game, it is Sinag’s starting point guard and former Letran high school and college star, Kevin Alas. It even came to a point wherein it seemed like it was Twitter war (sup bro!), which has been buried and made over (right?). And since our last conversation about it, I made it clear to this guy that what I want is to be proven wrong. And in this international stage, I was nothing but smiles as I coursed through Sinag’s assignments on TV.

And I considered it my debt when, and if, I was proven wrong.

As a high school player, Alas was making waves with the Squires, bringing them to the Finals in his days as a Squire but ran against those Ryan Buenafes and Nico Salvas, if my memory serves right. Big schools courted the young point guard to come to their programs. I won’t be surprised if they even promised the stars and moon to him, the same way they did when courting Ryan Buenafe, and recently, Arvin Tolentino. But guess what, he never left Letran, opting to play for their men’s basketball team alongside Rey Guevarra and RJ Jazul, erstwhile superstars of the school residing behind the walls of Intramuros.

“Daddy system.”

I once wrote that in a comments section on a fellow basketball fan’s blog. Even before, it came to my mind, since you are the coach’s son like Damian Carter in “Coach Carter.” But unlike junior Carter, you already had the machinations to be the superstar. That you can take shots out of the offense. A tailor-made pairing it was, dad barking orders, clear outs, for you to take advantage of, show what you are made of, that you are the savior of this squad that was constantly tormented by their rivals. That was you, man.

Only two problems then: RJ Jazul and Rey Guevarra were still thundering up and down the hardwood. And shots would be far and few in between. You, being the point guard and primary ball handler, were doing unthinkable things, at least on my end, with the leather: shooting first, passing later. With RJ and Rey on the floor. Mind you, in front of the TV I was pulling the hair on my head and cringe every time. Point guard play, I was muttering under my breath. YOLO before YOLO was invented. Bro was one tick higher than you in the sense that he took shots away from a MVP in RR Garcia. It was short of a drinking game for every brick, every TO, every missed pass leading to an assist.

Shoot first, pass later. The points guard. It would’ve been fine had you been putting up say, 20 a night to go along with eight dimes. And it would not materialize until your last two years. But I was still left wanting.

Your junior and senior years, I was surprised. You started passing first, shoot later. You led the NCAA in assists your junior year, and scoring in your last playing year, if my math is right. You were getting “it.” But still, I wasn’t sated.

“Daddy system.”

It all boils down to that once more. You were doing it for a man, who many detractors say, was making you stat-pad and look good. Dads gotta do what dads gotta do. And then you got the Keung Sheung Cup MVP (did I get it right?) playing as a Gilas cadet. And I was wholly unimpressed still. It doesn’t affect FIBA rankings. You were given free reign, blah, blah. The words tumbled out of my mouth and fingers.

I was still a non-believer even if the Mark Molinas, Mico Halilis and others were all praising you to the high heavens. “Until you learn to play in a system that isn’t run by dad or not given free run just to test you out, then there’s still work to be done,” I muttered to myself. And in truth, was a bit skeptical of the starting nod. We talked about my skepticism and your style of basketball, if you still remember, that is.

Prove me wrong, is my perpetual challenge.

You prove me wrong, I go home happy, you go home happy. Why? Well, if you don’t notice the change in basketball skills after working to prove me and many more doubters wrong, who wouldn’t be, right?

And, after that Sinag stint, Kevin Alas, you have proven me wrong.

You can play within a system. You can pick your spots and time of getting shots or dishing off. You did not slack off when scoring was delegated to Bobby Parks Jr., Kiefer Ravena, Roi Sumang, Kevin Ferrer and Marcus Douthit. You sir, are the best point guard to run that Sinag team.

You made the right reads each time down. You found your lanes when passes were rendered out of the option and chopped your man up like liver. You shot within the flow of the offense, open jumpers. Make no mistake, my grin was wide. And I was nodding my head like “yeah, you got this kid. You totally got this.”

It’s a whole lot of difference when comparing your Letran stint to your Gilas stint. I can definitely see all the hard work you put through, to be called worthy of wearing that Pilipinas on your chest. More than any other member, apart from Gabo and of course, my Ateneo boy Kiefer, I was intent on watching how far you have come. You did not disappoint. You made good when I tweeted about making me write something good about Sinag’s forays in the SEA Games. Well, you’re the only point guard I want to run that team. Sumang? He’s better off playing off you. Same thing with Kiefer and Bobby Ray when you three are together. You now know when to dish that pass, or when to do it yourself.

Pass first, shoot later. That’s what you did. That’s what point guards do.

You have proven me wrong, Kev. And for that I owed you.

Consider this payment.

Send your letters of complaints, protests, clarifications and blind hate to @PioVGarcia.