Scouting the Seaoil NBTC All-Stars

Now that the second Seaoil NBTC High School All-Star Game (the All-Star Light Team prevailed over the All-Star Dark Team 92-78) has been played with Letran’s Rey Nambatac winning Most Valuable Player honors, here are the high school seniors who in my honest opinion look to be top picks by colleges and universities around the country.

Their high schools are in parenthesis.

Axel Iñigo (San Beda) - Loved this kid’s game. Heady guard who you cannot leave open from the three-point arc. Great range. Doesn’t get rattled. Good ball skills. Good addition for Coach Leo Austria and the Adamson Falcons in the upcoming Season 76.

Clint Doliguez (Hope Christian HS) - Plays like Larry Rodriguez, only has a better drive. That will serve him well in college when he plays the three-spot. Can shoot threes, hit the stick j and has a quick first step. Rebounds well and plays defense. What more do you want?

Jeson Delfinado (FEU) - The kid can shoot. Yes, he can. Jimmy Alapag range.

Rey Nambatac (Letran) - RJ Jazul with a Rey Guevarra game. Can score some. Can pass too. Can he translate this to the college game? His skillset will work best with an uptempo team.

Mario Bonleon (La Salle Greenhills) - Best ball handling skills for any forward not named Clint Doliguez in the Seaoil NBTC High School All-Star Game. Has great range and a deceptive first step. Has got guts too! Passing the ball though is an alien concept he has to grasp.

Jerie Pingoy (FEU) - Ever since I saw him three years ago, the first thing that popped into my head was “Johnny Abarrientos redux”. Nothing since has made me change my mind.

Jeric Adorio (Sun Yat Sen Iloilo) - Easily the best athlete in this second staging of the Seaoil NBTC HS All-Star Game. Can jump out of the gym. Drives. Blocks shots like they are a personal affront to him. Will play the three-spot. Needs to add a little more muscle then he’ll be like a bowling ball on hapless tenpins.

Bears watching:

Ricky Peromingan (Bukidnon Faith Christian School) - Another dude with hops. But he needs more weapons in his arsenal. A drive to the basket will only get you so far.

Jefher John Egan - A spitfire point guard from St. Mary’s School in Cagayan De Oro.

I mentioned three provincial players and watching the All-Star game, these kids can hold their own. In fact, the All-Star Dark Team’s second and third units, made up mostly of these kids, brought their teams back in the thick of the fight. When they reverted to their starters (mostly from Manila), they couldn’t keep up with their counterparts from the All-Star Light Team.

What the fine folks at the National Basketball Training Center are doing is great for grassroots hoops. It isn’t solely about the game itself but also life values are being taught. There’s a glut of college tourneys right now and it’s high time that the secondary education programs are being given their due.

For the longest time, all the best programs were in Metro Manila. Now it’s great to see even the regional schools receiving and teaching modern basketball.

The Seaoil NBTC National Tournament and the High School All-Star Game (patterned after the McDonald’s All-American program) are proof of this.