FREE agency isn't for amateur sports, but that won't stop players from jumping from one school to another.
Transfers have been such a common thing in collegiate basketball now that all 10 teams from the NCAA each has a transferee that will see action this Season 97.
Defending champion Letran has two in Rhenz Abando and Brent Paraiso to boost its title-retention bid.
Moving from University of Santo Tomas after the controversy over the Sorsogon bubble, Abando and Paraiso (who, we should note, is already on his third school after previously suiting up for La Salle) are now viewed as vital cogs for the Knights.
Vengeful San Beda has also added a pair of transferees in Gab Cometa from University of the Visayas and JV Gallego from National University, both aiming to provide their veteran smarts for this young Red Lions crew.
Gozum back in NCAA
Of course, among the most popular transferees in the NCAA this season is Will Gozum, a former NCAA Juniors MVP at Mapua High School who moved from University of the Philippines to St. Benilde.
He leads the five transferees for the Blazers this season that included Miggy Corteza from La Salle, JC Cullar from University of the East, and Makoy Marcos and Tsutomu Tateishi both from UST.
The biggest transfer haul, however, is in Arellano with eight players coming from other teams and now playing for the Chiefs.
Jordan Sta. Ana, who previously studied at UST and Letran, is now in Legarda together with Maui Cruz from Emilio Aguinaldo College, Joshua dela Cruz from Mapua, Stefan Steinl from Jose Rizal University, and the quartet from Centro Escolar University of Christian Uri, Joshua Abastillas, Kobe Caballero, and JC Carandang.
Perpetual also added five to its camp with Joey Barcuma from Olivarez, John Cedrick Abis from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa, and Carlo Ferreras, John Paul Boral, and Christian Pagaran from Southern Philippine College.
Also beefing up their roster through the transfer window was Mapua which added four players in Toby Agustin and Jun Asuncion from UST and Ivan Santos and Jopet Soriano from Technological Institute of the Philippines.
Lyceum included three transferees to their roster in Eric Jabel from Mapua, Omar Larupay from UE, and Junmark Silvarez from JRU; while EAC and JRU added two as the Heavy Bombers got EJ Agbong and Jason Celis from Letran, and the Generals including Nat Cosejo from UST and Bryan Liwag from St. Patrick School to their roster.
San Sebastian's lone addition from the transferees is Kendrick Abarquez from University of San Jose-Recoletos as he looks to sustain his brilliance in Cebu to Recto.
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