PHILIPPINE basketball's future is set to be showcased by Strong Group-Pilipinas in the upcoming 43rd William Jones Cup from July 13 to 21.
Letran’s incoming impact freshman Jonathan Manalili, alongside Benilde’s talented transferees in Allen Liwag and Tony Ynot, will take part in the mid-year basketball spectacle in Taipei, Taiwan, serving as the Filipino side's young guns.
Jacob Lao, president of Strong Group Athletics, emphasized the team's commitment to nurturing young talent.
"Having Jonathan, Allen, and Tony in our team is our way of helping develop the future of Philippine basketball. We always make sure to have young players in our team to give them an early glimpse of what international basketball is like," said Lao.
All for (NCAA 100), and (NCAA 100) for all
Manalili, the youngest of the trio at 19 years old, has already made a name for himself by leading Letran to back-to-back NCAA Juniors titles.
In his final year with the Squires, the 6-foot Cebuano floor general averaged an impressive 16.1 points, 6.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game.
Manalili's first experience in the seniors was in the Filoil Ecooil 17th ECJ Preseason Cup, where he normed 11.0 points, 5.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 steals to spearhead the Knights' charge to a fourth-place finish - highest among NCAA teams.
Ynot and Liwag, on the other hand, were also part of the Strong Group squad that finished second in the 2024 Dubai Basketball International Tournament.
Liwag, 22 and 6-6, was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Blazers during the Filoil Preseason, with averages of 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds, while Ynot, 24 and 5-foot-11, contributed 8.7 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
Strong Group Athletics head coach Charles Tiu is confident that this experience will benefit the young players in the long run.
"This will not only prepare Allen, Tony, and Jonathan for the upcoming NCAA Season 100, but will also help them have a bright future in basketball," Tiu stated.
Flanking the young guns on the Strong Group-Pilipinas roster are seasoned players Kiefer Ravena, Rhenz Abando, Angelo Kouame, RJ Abarrientos, Jordan Heading, DJ Fenner, Chris McCollough, Caelan Tiongson, and Tajuan Agee.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
