CO-FOUNDED BY former PBA player Alex Cabagnot, Fil-Am Nation Select has quietly been serving as a bridge for potential Stateside hoops talent to play in their parents' homeland. Their growing roster of talents have ended up playing for the national team, as well as getting scouted for colleges.
In their recent global summit press conference, the agency introduced a clutch of emerging Fil-Am hoopers who we might see in the collegiate or national level in the years to come.
These athletes were Sydney Heyn, Sumayah Sugapong, Kate Bobadilla, Jacob Bayla, Jaland Lowe, Sean Alter, and Ethan Galang — top performers from Fil-Am Nation Select’s global summit which took place last August 12 to 14 in Orange County, California.
Playing in the Philippines
During the conference, they discussed their recruitment status and what their plans were for college and beyond. Some of them have already experienced playing for the Philippine team, with Bayla suiting up for the Gilas Youth Under-18 pool and Under-16 team in 2022.
Would we be seeing next in the UAAP or the NCAA? Bayla bared that Ateneo, De La Salle, and UP have come knocking, but he has yet to commit to any of these universities. After all, he would only be eligible by 2024, and his criteria for choosing a school would depend on where he thinks he would fit in right away and where he would be accepted for who he is.
Ethan Galang was another one from the group who talked about his PH collegiate prospects.
A 6-foot-4 guard who has played for Rowland Heights High School and Life Pacific University, he would be eligible to play here in the Philippines by 2023.
While he is still exploring his options, UST and UE have emerged as the top contenders to bag this young cager, he said.
Galang played in the NBTC back in 2019 and he said that this experience has helped him develop a more physical playing style.
When these players finally make the big leap to playing here, what do they think they'll encounter?
“Filipinos play with a lot of heart and are more physical which would be different from those in the States who are not used to that physicality and competitive spirit,” said Sean Alter, a state champion who's also keen to play in our country.
It's a stark difference from the style of game they're used to.
They see this as an advantage that they could use, along with the Filipino culture of competitiveness and genuine love for the sport.
Female, Fil-Am, and proud
Sydney Heyn, Sumayah Sugapong, Kate Bobadilla — who are currently part of the Gilas Girls U-18 squad — also talked about how grateful they were for more opportunities that highlight women in sports. Through the agency, they've become immersed in the Philippine basketball culture, which has helped greatly in terms of improving their skills.
While Bobadilla and Sugapong have already committed to colleges in the US (Kate is heading to Point Loma Nazarene University, while Sumayah committing to the University of California San Diego), Sydney is still at a crossroads.
“I’m looking for a school that would balance both my academic and athletic side," she said.
Given that all three of them are now part of the national team, Cris Gopez of Fil-Am Nation Select believes that their attitude, work ethic, and communication are things that they could bring to the table along with their long experience playing the game.
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