ENCHO Serrano received high praises from his North coach Jong Uichico after claiming the MVP award in the NBTC National High School Championship Division 1 All-Star Game at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Adamson Baby Falcon had 17 points and seven rebounds for the North All-Stars in their 94-89 win over South - a performance that was enough for Serrano to make a good impression on the PBA champion coach.
But it wasn’t the scoring that Uichico was most impressed with about the 5-foot-11 Serrano, but more his ability to rebound the basketball, with the veteran mentor comparing the Baby Falcon star to Scottie Thompson of Barangay Ginebra.
“He is a rebounding guard which is good for a guard that can rebound that much. He could be like Scottie Thompson eventually,” said Uichico of the native of Apalit, Pampanga, who was declared ineligible in the last UAAP juniors tournament due to problems with his academic papers.
[See Fil-Am teen Hepa still raw but has 'Nowitzki-like upside,' says Uichico]
Serrano gained the All-Star berth after getting a passing mark from the coaches in the NBTC tryouts. In fact, he topped all All-Stars in terms of a grading system with 87.9 percent.
The former San Miguel, Barangay Ginebra, Meralco, and TNT coach hopes Serrano will grow a little bit more so that he could reach his full potential. But Uichico said Serrano already has the athleticism that can compensate whatever he lacks in terms of size.
“He is a great player but I hope he grows a little bit more. But he has the athleticism to overcome his (lack of) height,” said Uichico.