KYMANI Ladi has lived up to the hype in his one-and-done season for Ateneo - and even the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas agrees.
Under Norman Black, the national team coach for the oncoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Ladi was one of three amateurs selected to Gilas Pilipinas 12-man roster, with the other two being La Salle’s Mike Phillips and the University of the Philippines' Veejay Pre.
READ: Ladi had long been eyed for Gilas SEA Games squad - even before UAAP Season 88
Black sees Ladi as a young, athletic wing the nationals could get off and go running with alongside Justin Brownlee, with his 6-foot-8 frame raising the team's ceiling as well.
However, there’s one person who's in quite the conundrum when it comes to Ladi representing the country in Thailand: Blue Eagles shot-caller Tab Baldwin.
“Hopefully, he won't be available. Hopefully, we'll be in the finals,” he said, half-serious, half-kidding, of course.
Ateneo is currently in a three-way logjam for the fourth spot alongside Adamson and University of Santo Tomas. The UAAP Season 88 elimination round comes to a close on November 23, with the Final Four expected to tip off not long after.
The tournament is seen to conclude in mid-December, just as Gilas begins its title defense in the regional meet.
Blue-red-and-white Eagles
Nevertheless, Baldwin made it clear he wasn’t against Ladi wearing the flag in any way.
As he put it, “That's Ky's decision. I always like it when players get an opportunity to play for their country. But every player has their own set of circumstances that they have to deal with. We'll see what Kai feels like later on.”
Once the Fil-Am high-flyer dons the national colors, he will be one of four blue-and-white products in Gilas alongside Thirdy Ravena, Dave Ildefonso, and naturalized player Ange Kouame.
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