Banal shines in NCCAA, leads school to 2-0 start

MANILA, Philippines - Raphael Banal, the first Filipino to make a US varsity team straight from high school in the Philippines, has started to create a stir for his squad, helping Victory University to a 2-0 start in the 2012-13 National Christian Colleges Athletic Association (NCCAA) season.

Banal, son of multi-titled coach Joel, just came through with a huge 30-point game Tuesday in their 86-89 loss in double overtime against Mississippi Valley State. It was the Delta Delvis’ final exhibition before proceeding to their own season proper.

The former Phl Youth and Ateneo Eaglet twice banged in a buzzer-beater to force both the first and second OTs.

He led all scorers with 30 points on 4-of-7 three-pointers and 6-of-7 twinners and also got three rebounds, three assists, three steals and two turnovers in 40 minutes of action as reported by mvusports.com.

Banal is now in his second season with Victory U after a rookie year cut short by a shoulder injury.

Victory U is a Memphis, Tennessee-based school competing in the NCCAA.

Banal was recruited by VU coach Scott Robinson upon the recommendation of coach Ed Schilling under whom the 6-foot-2 Filipino youth trained in a camp in Indianapolis, Indiana for six months last year.

Robinson and Schilling have gone a long way, both having worked together as assistant coaches to coach John Calipari at University of Memphis.

Banal opted to sit out the 2010 varsity season in the Philippines to hone his skills in the US.

In a six-month training under Schilling, Banal was converted from a wingman to point guard.

Banal and Kiefer Ravena were hotshots of the Ateneo Eaglets, tapped together to banner the Phl Youth team that placed fifth in the Fiba Asia junior championship in Yemen in 2009.

In the same year, Banal and Ravena were two of five Filipinos chosen to represent the Philippines in the Junior NBA camp in San Francisco, California.

Rafael’s older brother Gabriel and father Joel had also played for the Philippine youth team.

Japeth Aguilar played for US NCAA Division I school Western Kentucky. But he had played two seasons with the Ateneo Eagles before being enlisted in the US.