ANDY GEMAO, KIEFFER ALAS PROVE WORTHY OF THE HYPE IN NBTC

AFTER a momentous week, another season of the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) is in the books.

And for the first time since its inception, a pair of global teams emerged as champions in both divisions.

But as the dust and the confetti settles, there were a lot of things that we've learned this past week.

Look:

Andy Gemao is for real

Much excitement was revolving around Andy Gemao playing for Fil-Am Nation Select, and there was really a lot of reason to.

It's been a year since the public saw the 6-foot guard, and a lot of buzz was how much the former Letran Squire has improved since taking that sojourn to the United States.

And how did he respond? By balling out, averaging 15.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.0 steals, on top of electrifying the crowd with his highlight dunks and showing his poise as the leader of the US-based club en route to the Division 1 crown.

All hype? We beg to differ.

Kieffer Alas is the future

Pundits have long salivated on the potential of coach Louie Alas' youngest son, with many even considering him better than his older brother Kevin.

Though he has already shown how good he is last year,  finishing No. 2 in the NBTC All-Star cements that promise as he only placed behind Ateneo-bound Jared Bahay.

Although Kieffer Alas missed out on the National Finals after La Salle Zobel bowed out in the wildcard phase, he made the most of his stint this past week, first stamping his class in the Skills Challenge before captaining Team Hustle to the victory in the All-Star Game.

The scary part? He's only 16 years old.

The emergence of Batang Tiaong

When you talk about basketball hotbeds in the country, it's automatic that the provinces of Pampanga, Cebu, and Negros Occidental are quick to be blurted out.

But in a tournament where Pampanga Delta begged off while Cebuano teams Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and Khalifa and Bacolod's Trinity being relegated to Division 2, one regional team has shown that it is an emerging power.

Enter Batang Tiaong of Quezon, the NBTC South Luzon Regional Champion and the first ever regional team not from Cebu to reach the Division 1 semifinals.

Coach Rexember Baldeo has formed a formidable program and has unearthed quality talents led by St. Benilde-bound Mowell Morales, pint-sized shooter John Rex Villanueva, and daring slasher Renz Apor.

No question, the club should serve as a model for regional teams raring to compete with Manila's finest, and this Fearless Four stint solidifies that. Can you imagine how good they can be next season? We can't wait.

PHOTO: NBTC

Power shift in the provinces

But it's not just Batang Tiaong.

Of the 16 teams which reached Division 1, half came from those who qualified from NBTC's four regional conferences.

Aside from Batang Tiaong, there was North Luzon champion Yengskivel Sportswear of CAMANAVA, Mindanao king Toyomoto Auto Supply of Davao, together with Xavier U-Ateneo de Cagayan de Oro, 1San Rafael of Bulacan, FMLP/KMTE Customs Brokerage of Davao, One Media TV48 Naga, and PPG Tarlac.

Also, half of the teams which reached the Fantastic Eight in Division 2 came from the regionals, namely Khalifa, St. Robert's Iloilo, PCU-Dasmarinas, and UNBL-Don Bosco of Dumaguete.

It's a testament to the wealth of undiscovered talent in the Philippine countryside and proof to the success of NBTC's drive to scour the provinces to find more talent.

Don't be surprised to see some stalwarts from these teams make commitments to colleges in the UAAP and the NCAA soon.

PHOTO: NBTC

Reinforcements from Manila still make a big difference

Coach Nap Santos of Division 2 champion Top Flight Sports Canada personally said it: the players who backstopped his team took it over the edge.

From Division 2 Ato Badolato Most Outstanding Player Allen Vergara of Lyceum leading the squad to Justin Thompson of Perpetual making big plays late, to even big shots from Arellano's JC Espinosa, Top Flight Sports benefited from their addition and has allowed Fil-Canadians like Joey Panghulan to flourish on the court.

Heck, even Division 1 champs Fil-Am Nation Select needed Andy Gemao to be that leader for the team to hoist the trophy.

So should this be the move for global teams moving forward? We're not sure, but adding one or two local talents surely helps a lot when it comes to adapting to the Philippine style of basketball, all the more with the breakneck pace of the NBTC National Finals.

Girls indeed got game

There truly was basketball overload at SM Mall of Asia Arena the past week, but there's no question that the most exciting games came from the girls, both in the Girls' All-Star Game and in the Manila Live Girls 19U Final between NU-Nazareth School and Fil-Am Nation Select.

From Karylle Sierba's game-winner in the All-Star, Naomi Panganiban's 51-point finale, to the Lady Bulldogs reinstating their place at the summit, everyone was on its feet seeing these girls play.

But even before the games got to Mall of Asia Arena, the girls were already drawing crowds at the Gameville Ballpark and at Ninoy Aquino Stadium during the earlier phases.

Let's just hope we can see more of this in the coming seasons.

Talent identification needs to be followed up

Terrence Hill stole the show for Fil-Am Nation Select and outshone his fancied teammates like Gemao, Jacob Bayla, and Caelum Harris to emerge as the Division 1 Ato Badolato Most Outstanding Player.

But this really shouldn't be a surprise, with the three-star recruit committing to Division I Utah State in the Mountain West Conference.

This isn't the first time that the NBTC has paraded this level of talent with Filipino lineage. In the past, the names of Jalen Green, Kihei Clark, and Kamaka Hepa have gone back to their roots and played at the Mall of Asia Arena.

But as much of a pleasure it was to see them play in front of the home crowd, it would've been nicer to know that these talents are open to playing for the national team, that they already are in the process of acquiring a Philippine passport.

Fil-Am Nation Select founder Cris Gopez promised that his program is out to bring only the best Fil-Am talents from the NBTC after his team's championship conquest. Let's just hope that they're not just here tracing their roots, but are also willing to represent the country in the future.

2024-03-27T10:13:49Z dg43tfdfdgfd