Young import to boost Blackwater’s Commish Cup bid

MANILA, Philippines – With a young and athletic import in Malcolm Rhett, Blackwater hopes to measure up with the league’s elite teams when the PBA Commissioner’s Cup unfolds next month.

Coach Leo Isaac is convinced their reinforcement will help boost the Elite’s campaign in the upcoming tournament with the 6-9 Rhett coming off an impressive stint in a Latvian league.

Aside from toughness, Rhett is also bringing with him his enthusiasm to the game.

“I’m happy with his attitude but I warned him to be ready since he will play at least 40 minutes per game. And when I said that to him, he told me ‘he’s ready.’ For me that’s a sign of a good player,” said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac of his 240-lb former University of Mississippi stalwart.

Though he’s only 23 – perhaps the youngest import ever to play in the league – Rhett looks matured in so many ways – especially on his shot selections.

His highlight NCAA games for the Rebels were against Brigham Young University that saw him finish with 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. He hit 8-of-9 from the field for 18 markers against Vanderbilt and netted 16 points against Arkansas after another 8-of-9 field goal shooting.

In all, he knocked down 110 of 192 shots from the field, thus earning a monicker as the young Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat.

In Blackwater’s tune-up match against Far Eastern University, Rhett, a lefty, showed flashes of his brilliance, enough to impress owner Dioceldo Sy.

Aside from his great leaping ability, Rhett wowed the group with his deft outside shooting.

“Judging from his game and attitude, Malcolm could be the right man for the team, the right prescription for our team,” said Sy.

After a forgettable Philippine Cup debut, Blackwater won three of their 11 games in the next conference, including an 80-77 upset of San Miguel Beer.

Through the inspired performance of the young turks, led by the high-leaping Carlo Lastimosa and Art dela Cruz, and the stability provided by veteran playmaker Mike Cortez, Blackwater made it to the quarterfinals of the ongoing Philippine Cup.