ARE we expecting an influx of Fil-Am talent in University of the East?
Not quite, says new head coach Chris Gavina.
READ: Chris Gavina as new UE head coach made official
The new Red Warriors coach understands where the assumptions may come from, especially given his link to the Fil-Nation Select group, but argued that when it comes to recruitment, he’s in a levelled playing field with everybody else.
“I know because of my connection with Alex [Cabagnot] that people may think of such. Maybe the only advantage I have is I get to know some of those talents first, but there’s no guarantee that there’s somewhat of a pipeline for them to go to UE,” he told SPIN.ph.
Gavina was the head coach for Fil-Nation Select when it won the 2024 NBTC National Finals last year behind Andy Gemao and now-University of the Philippines stud Jacob Bayla, becoming the first international team to hoist the Division 1 trophy in the Philippine national 19-under championship.
Cabagnot, together with his cousin Cris Gopez, founded Fil-Nation Select which has, over the years, provided an avenue for Fil-Am talents to be recruited by collegiate teams in Manila.
Just among the number of talents it has connected with UAAP and NCAA teams are Bayla, Sean Alter, and Zain Mahmood.
Coincidentally, Cabagnot has been enlisted as one of Gavina’s deputies in Recto.
Red's not the only color
Gavina, however, explained that knowing the talent and securing their commitment are two different things.
“It still depends when I see how they play and how I see them blending in here in UE. And of course, we’re not the only ones trying to secure these players, as other schools are also doing their part in trying to lock up these Fil-Nation Select talents,” he said.
For Gavina, what matters is if a player fits well to the system he wants to cultivate in UE – regardless what group, country, or province he comes from.
READ: Chris Gavina out to build 'strong culture' in UE's new chapter
“It’s the UE culture: that’s what we’re instilling here,” he said. “We know that there’s a lot of talented kids out there. It’s just a matter of how they can adapt to what we’re running and of course, we always want to help them be the best basketball players they can be.”
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