SEVEN Cebuanos are expected to suit up as the Philippine Youth Under-18 national pool sees action in the FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup which starts on April 23 at the Arena in San Juan City.
The Nationals participation in this tournament is in preparation for the Fiba-Asia Under-18 Championship which will be held in Doha, Qatar this August.
Head coach Jamike Jarin said that his team is relishing the chance to compete against the country’s best collegiate players. “It’s a gauge on how we can compete against the best,” Jarin was quoted as saying.
The PH under-18 team currently has seven Cebuanos in its fold headed by team captain Dave Wilson Yu, a current National University Bulldog who once starred for the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu.
The other locals to make it to the pool are former Cesafi junior MVPs Paul Desiderio and Dawn Ochea, former RP under-16 team member Henry Asilum, former University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguar Rendell Senining, former University of Cebu Baby Webmaster Andrey Armenion and current University of the Visayas Green Lancer Leonard Santillan.
The rest of the team is comprised of Thirdy Ravena, Andrei Caracut, Aaron Black, John Apacible, Mark Dyke, Richard Escoto, Jolo Go, Ranbill Tongco, Manuel Mosqueda, Aron Manguera, Renzo Subido, Jerrick Balanza, Ricci Rivero, Amando San Juan, Isaac Go, and JP Caulian.