UST welcomes Jun Melecio, Mark Llemit to Growling Tigers

University of Santo Tomas continues to beef up its roster ahead of the UAAP Season 86 men's basketball tournament, locking up two promising rookies in Jun Melecio and Mark Llemit.

Melecio, the younger brother of Phoenix Super LPG guard and former UAAP star Aljun Melecio, is coming off a juniors stint with La Salle Zobel where he posted 8.46 points, 2.85 rebounds, 2.15 assists, and 1.23 steals in 20 minutes in the previous season.

Llemit, meanwhile, has decided to stay put in España. He donned the UST colors in the UAAP Season 85 juniors basketball tournament where the Tiger Cubs reached the Final Four round.

The 18-year-old 6-foot winger averaged 16.27 points, 8.27 rebounds, 2.73 assists, and 2.53 steals in 28 minutes to place 19th in the NBTC high school rankings while also steering UST to the Division 1 semifinals in the Smart-NBTC National Finals.

Both are eligible to play for UAAP Season 86 and will have their full five playing years.

"Sobrang excited ako kasi dito ako nagsimula. Gusto ko kung saan ako nagsimula, doon din ako sa next level," said Llemit.

("I'm so excited because this is where I started. Where I started, that's where I wanted to go for the next level.")

Melecio added: "Gagawin ko lahat dito. Kung paano ko minahal yung La Salle, ganoon din yung nafi-feel ko sa UST. Kaya motivated ako na gawin yung best ko to help UST win as much games as possible."

("I'll do it all here. How much I loved La Salle, it's the same that I feel for UST. That's why I'm motivated to do my best to help UST win as much games as possible.")

The two are the latest recruits to join the Tigers' den after SJ Moore, Gabriel Obusan, Rhayyan Amsali, and James Una.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News