CEBU, Philippines - After two days of intense basketball training under the eyes of the Jr. NBA Coaches, seven boys and three girls topped the Jr. NBA Regional Tryouts held at the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) and qualified for the National Training Camp and a chance to enjoy the NBA experience and making the Philippine Jr. NBA national team of all stars.
Leading the pack were Cebu players Steven Co, Andrew Velasco and Wayne Kirby Bersaluna of SHS-AdC, Jomari Ranuco of the University of San Carlos (USC), and Jethro Rocamora of First Baptist Church Christian School.
Joining them were Bacolod standouts Donn Lim of St. John’s Institute and Andre Dadivas of University of St. La Salle. For the first time in history girls are also joining the trip to Manila for the national training camp.
Lyniel Marie Padilla of SHS-AdC, Mary Jean Pascual of University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) and Cassandra Bayking of Abellana National School form the pioneering batch of the first ever girls to qualify under the banner of the Jr. WNBA.
The select ten bested a cast of over 240 prospects who came from as far as Ormoc and Bacolod.
They spent the first day undergoing a battery of skills tests spread in different stations: footwork, lay-ups, passing, shooting and dribbling. The test included strength tests via push ups and sit-ups.
The top 40 boys and 20 girls from the skills tests of Day 1 qualified for Day 2 where all players experienced a regular team practice routine under the scrutiny of the Jr. NBA coaches led by PBA legend Jojo Lastimosa who were now on the look-out for the best of the best who would represent Cebu in the national training camp which will be held in Manila April 25-27.
The finale was a series of games in a mini-tournament that brought out the talents and skills of all players. And when the dust cleared, Cebu’s top ten topped the whole cast of blue chip prospects.
The Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA will hold more regional tryouts in Dagupan, Pangasinan, Puerto Princesa, Palawan and Manila before the national tryouts also in Manila. (FREEMAN)