IN an effort to scour North of Manila for fresh basketball talent, Nino Reyes has formed a team that will compete among the top locals players in Caloocan.
Reyes has fielded a team in the North Caloocan Basketball League (NCBL), which has attracted teams not only from Manila bit also from as far as Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, including some beefed up by former PBA players.
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FEU-NRMF Basketball team owner Reyes, who has overseen the career of Terrence Romeo since his UAAP playing days with the FEU Tamaraws, said this is one venue where he hopes to stumble into fresh talent.
“Apart from providing exposure to our players from our school and hospital, we want to see raw talent who we can add to our pool of players,” said Reyes, who also handles the careers of PBA 3x3 veteran Marvin Hayes and Ping Exciminiano.
“Saka maganda ito kasi normally, ang scouting natin sa Pampanga, Cebu, Mindanao. Itong mga taga-Manila nakakalimutan natin. Ang dami ring talent dito, you just have to look around,” he added.
Reyes’ NRMF team was off to a rousing start in the Open category, trouncing a Yaku-JB X Pares squad led by former Blackwater big man John Ambulodto, 110-100, in front of a huge crowd at the Brgy Bidang Court in Bagumbong, Caloocan.
PBA-bound Drick Acosta of St. Clare paced NRMF with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal while fellow amateur prospect Mike Panambo, a local of Quezon City, wowed the crowd with 14 points.
Ambulodto, meanwhile, led all scorers of Yaku with 22.
MD Basketball scored a nail-biting 90-89 win over Budweiser in the other game of the tournament that had 10 teams in the Open division and six in the Under-19 class.
the tournament is organized by former Northport Batang Pier assistant manager Benjo Flores with Choy Esperida, Ermie John Gelle, Carmelo Monterey, Jr. and PJ Valenzuela completing the list of officials.
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