Wanted tall, versatile players for Nokia RP youth team

MANILA, Philippines – Tall but versatile players will be needed for the Nokia RP Under-16 team when tryouts begin on January 2 at the Jacinto Tiu Court at Xavier School in Greenhills, San Juan. Newly-appointed RP youth team coach Eric Altamirano said the three-day open tryouts is set from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. from January 2 to 4. “We will also be in the lookout for big players who can play inside, rebound and run the floor." Once the team is formed, they will see action in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) youth tournament in May next year where the champion and runner up will earn slots in the Fiba-Asia Under-16 Tournament in Malaysia. Altamirano said he is on the lookout for players with sound fundamentals, quickness and good outside shooting. “The formation of the team is, of course, always in the context of the competition not only in Southeast Asia but also in the Asian region where we will be up against tall, strong, quick and fundamentally-sound rivals." Some of the players being considered – whose birthday should be on January 1, 1993 or later – are those that participated in the ongoing National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) D-League. “But of course, I am not discounting that there are talents out there who will just walk in during the tryouts and make the team," added Altamirano, who coached teams in the UAAP and PBA. Players that would excel with the team could possibly get slots for the Philippine squad that is aiming for a return stint in the 2012 London Olympics. The last time the country made it to the Olympics was during the 1972 Munich Games. Altamirano took over the coaching chores of the RP 16-under team from Franz Pumaren, who steered the Nokia RP Youth squad to the Seaba title and a seventh place finish in the Asian championship in Iran this year. – GMANews.TV