ALMOST THERE

Ateneo de Cebu’s Colonia makes Batang Gilas Final 15

Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu guard Jed Cedrick Colonia is on the cusp of making it to the Batang Gilas squad as he was selected to the top 15 by head coach Mike Oliver.

Colonia, a lean but mean 5-foot-9 guard, is the latest in the long line of Cebuano stalwarts who have been asked to play for flag and country.

Henry Asilum, Jerie Marlon Pingoy, Paul Desiderio, Leonard Santillan, Dave Wilson Yu and Arnie Padilla, to name a few, have represented the country in several international competitions in the past years.

Now Colonia gets his chance to make the final cut after Oliver, the former champion head coach of the Far Eastern University Baby Tamaraws, recognized his strong play during the team’s weekly practices in Manila.

“He’s a kind of point guard I think who can help the team through his defense and ball-handling skills,” said Oliver in a talk with Cebu Daily News yesterday. “He’s also a good finisher. He can beat you one-on-one and can also create for others.”

Colonia, who is currently playing for the Magis Eagles in the National Basketball Training Center National High School Championships in Manila, said he initially had his doubts whether he would be able to make the squad. But his selection has galvanized his desire to work even harder, while staying true to the mentality and the skills that has brought him to where he is right now.

“I just want to play my game and do what the coach asks me to,” Colonia said.

There were four other Cebuanos who were invited to join the tryouts – Ateneo de Cebu’s Steven Co, Andrew Velasco and Patrick Yu and the University of the Visayas’ Denzel Sabroso.

Oliver said he will decide this weekend on the final roster for the team that will compete in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) Under-16 championship that will be held in Cagayan de Oro next month