Nonoy, Cuajao move to La Salle; Gallego joins San Beda

MANILA, Philippines — The exodus from España continues as two more Growling Tigers in Mark Nonoy and Deo Cuajao left the UST lair amid the still unresolved Sorsogon bubble controversy.

Nonoy, last season’s UAAP Rookie of the Year, and fellow promising guard Cuajao are on their way to Taft to join La Salle as Archers team manager Terry Capistrano confirmed to The STAR yesterday.

Nonoy and Cuajao added to the list of players who bolted out of UST, a sad episode touched off by ex-team captain CJ Cansino’s transfer to UP last month.

Other Tigers followed suit as Jun Asuncion moved to Mapua while the troika of Rhenz Abando, Brent Paraiso and Ira Bataller jumped over to Letran.

All these players were key cogs in UST’s finals run last season after stunning second seed UP only to fall short against eventual champion Ateneo.

Apart from losing seven cagers, the once-promising UST basketball program also endured the resignation of athletic director Fr. Jannel Abogado, OP and the indefinite UAAP ban of coach Aldin Ayo in the aftermath of the Tigers’ Sorsogon adventure.

In La Salle, Nonoy and Cuajao will join other recruits Evan Nelle from San Beda, Joshua Ramirez from Letran, Kevin Quiambao from NU and Senegalese giant Amadou N’Diaye with Fil-Americans Kameron Vales and Jeromy Hughes.

Meanwhile, San Beda joined the recruiting frenzy as it netted a pair of talented guards in JV Gallego and Fil-Canadian Brendan Ocampo.

“They have enrolled a few days ago,” said San Beda team manager Jude Roque.

Gallego is a pick up from NU where he averaged 7.2 points and around two rebounds and the same number of assists last UAAP season while Ocampo played for the Durham Crossover team that made the Chooks-to-Go NBTC national finals.