A team looking for new blood just got some as National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) National High School Championships Mythical Five member Joseph Mayol decided to join the rebuilding University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters.
Far removed from their championship days at the height of the powers of the vaunted triumvirate of reigning PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo, current Blackwater point guard Brian Heruela and Edward Pao, the Webmasters have been searching for both identity and talent and so far have come up short on both fronts.
That may all soon change with addition of Mayol, a tough, hard-nosed guard who along with Janjan Jaboneta, Pio Longa and Joshua Sinclair, helped propel the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles to the most prestigious high school title in the land, the NBTC national crown.
His stellar play during the said tournament also earned him a spot in the elite Mythical Five, alongside some big names in high school basketball – Sinclair, San Beda’s Andrei Caracut, National University’s Mark Dyke and Chiang Kai Shek’s JV Gallego.
Mayol, in an exclusive interview with Cebu Daily News, explained that his decision to enroll at UC and join the Webmasters allowed him to hit two birds with one stone.
“I chose UC because it’s like a dream come true. Two opportunities at once: playing basketball and being able to study nautical,” he said. “I also chose UC because it’s also what my parents wanted. Then Atty (Baldomero) Estenzo helped me to get into the varsity team.”