The hunt

Hunting for Easter eggs may be over. But the hunt for players continues.

A few months before the opening of the 66th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) basketball tournament, the different coaches have started stepping on the gas in their quest for rookies who could reinforce their bid in the country’s premier collegiate league.

Leading the pack of hunters is Adamson Falcons head coach Luigi Trillo who may have successfully tracked down the gems of the lot. He first heard of Kenneth Bono last year. But didn’t think much of then 6’1 baller because he was more keen on getting James Yap who was eventually recruited by the University of the East, after practicing and quartering with the Falcons for a while.

The heartbreak he suffered when Yap left the Falcon fold was actually a blessing in disguise. With Yap lost to the UE Warriors, he worked on getting Nonoy Canuday for his juniors team. And it was this recruit who told him about Bono. He was introduced to coach Nelson Go in Legaspi during the National Games. Go confirmed that a lot of coaches were indeed after the 18-year old Ilonggo who, by now had grown into a huge off-guard/power forward playing for the Iloilo Central Commercial High School (ICCHS); and creating problems as big as he for ICCHS rival schools.

According to coach Trillo, 6’5 Bono "can shoot, can carry his weight (the whole of 210 lbs), and plays like a three." He added that despite his size, this Filipino-German can move his feet. And that is indeed rare among big men. The Adamson mentor further described his new player as "unflappable." He seems really shy and quiet. But the force that drives him to play ball is unmistakably there. "Gusto ko laging panalo," says Bono who looks up to San Miguel Beer’s Danny Seigle as his role model.

Nonie Bono’s only child and pride grew up without having known his German father, who used to be a karate black-belter here in the Philippines. He left shortly after young Kenneth was born. Because of this, Kenneth looked up to his uncles for a father figure. And they were the ones who taught him basketball at age 7. "Masaya at maraming naglalaro," says he of the sport that has opened for him a lot of opportunities. One of which is to leave his quaint Iloilo hometown for Manila life and education. This timid Ilonggo actually tried out with the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers before ending up with the Falcons, to the surprise of many.

Coach Trillo admitted that he knew he wasn’t the best coach in the UAAP. In fact, the Adamson sports program struggled with a 29-game slump in the past three seasons before finally stealing a win from National University last July 18, 2002. But he had to try his luck in recruiting Bono. "I sincerely wanted to get him. I can’t offer him what the other teams may do. But I promise to give him my best."

No doubt the basketball program of the Archers is good. Proofs of this are the many trophies queued up along the halls in the Taft campus. But they have a lot of heroes already, players who have taken them straight to the top of the hierarchies in the UAAP. And Bono may be just one of them.

Looking closely, this may well be a wise decision for Bono. The Adamson Falcons can only boast of one championship since it joined the UAAP. And that was even through a forfeiture of the game! The opposing team had an ineligible player in its line-up and so was disqualified. So many players came and went, even players who later became superstars in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) — EJ Feihl, Marlou Aquino, Kenneth Duremdes, and Gherome Ejercito. But not one of them was able to earn a victory for the Falcons. This is a chance for Bono to do something that no one has been able to do with Adamson in the past. This is golden opportunity for Bono to be the hero.

Apparently, to the delight of Adamson students, faculty and alumni, Bono is only one-half of the golden egg coach Trillo has found in the hunt three weeks ago. The other half is Roel Hugnatan.

He was in grade 6 when his uncle taught him how to shoot hoops in their hometown in Talisay, Negros Occidental. Basketball is in his blood. He is the younger brother of Coca-Cola’s Reynel Hugnatan who also played for the Negros Slashers in the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) where he was cited as Most Improved Player in the 2001 season.

Also towering at 6’4, Hugnatan complements Bono’s game very well. While Bono is the banger in the paint, Hugnatan is the 85 lbs-post threat with swift moves and leaping ability. They scored a total of 71 points for their school, ICCHS to beat Chiang Kai Shek College and capture the crown at the recently concluded 10th Filipino-Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation. Bono had 37, and Hugnatan contributed 34. They will definitely be the double-post threats of the Falcons.

"Gusto namin dito sa Adamson kasi mababait ng mga kasama namin," explained Hugnatan. He added that their teammates make them feel really welcome. And the veterans are happy, too! "Gusto din naming silang tulungan sa mga plays ni coach. At ok sila kasi mga bata pa, mabibilis at agresibo pa," added Patrick Tiongco. Team Captain Mark Abadia said he believes the team is finally complete, "Big men talaga kulang namin. Ngayon nandito na sila."

Coach Trillo was quoted last year saying, "The other teams have more talent. But I think chemistry and working together may spell the difference." Now he’s singing another tune, "First time I’m having a combination like this — threats at the post, big guys, veterans coming to play, and rookies with so much raw talent and potential."

Looks like he has gotten better at the hunting game. And though he admits they’re still a notch lower than DLSU, ADMU, UP, FEU and UE, he is working hard on shaping the team for the next UAAP season.

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