DAVE Ildefonso knows that at age 19, he's undoubtedly the kuya for the Gilas Pilipinas Youth squad which will see action in the 2019 Fiba Under-19 World Cup later this month.
"Ang tanda ko na kasi eh," he quipped, as he explained he would like to leave a mark with the young squad in his final tournament in the age-group international tournaments.
"Ako yung pinakamatanda dito, so ang maitutulong ko lang is yung pagiging role model at pagiging vocal sa court at off the court," he said.
Ildefonso, however, knows that the leadership responsibility won't fall solely on his shoulders.
"Marami naman akong makakatulong in terms of leadership. Si Kai (Sotto) born leader naman at ganoon din si AJ (Edu), si (Migs) Oczon. As individuals, leaders kami lahat," the incoming NU Bulldog sophomore said as he looked forward to hitting the hardcourts in Heraklion, Greece.
"Magandang experience sa akin ito as an individual kasi makakalaro ako sa World Cup."
The fact, though, isn't lost on Ildefonso on how high of a ceiling this youth team has.
"Naiisip ko lang na grabe, ang lalaki na pala ng mga bata ngayon. Dati 6-footer lang ako, sentro pa ako," said the second-generation star, who has been with the national team since 2015.
He took that as a challenge to continue adding layers to his game as he continues to build his case as a versatile winger, not just for NU but also for the country.
"The game is evolving so my game is evolving, too. Dati shooter lang, spot-up ako, minsan nagbi-big man pa o power forward. But ngayon, I worked it out over the years na pwede akong backup point guard, dos, tres, stretch four kung kailangan. Pero the game is always evolving so you have to evolve with it," said the son of two-time PBA MVP Danny Ildefonso.
As much as the World Cup will serve as Ildefonso's swan song in the age-group international tournaments, he hopes that this won't be the last time he could don the national tri-colors.
"Sana hindi ito yung last ko," he said. "Yung dream ko after a few years, makasali sa 2023 World Cup at makasali sa iba pang tournament like the SEA Games. Paghihirapan ko yun. Sana makuha ko sa future."
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