Making the leap: From high school hoops star to collegiate rookie

The post-Christmas months of January to March can mean many things, but for university athletics directors, their basketball coaches, and their network of alumni, it also means getting commitments from the top high school ballers in the country, in the hopes that a team can go from zero to hero, or that a dynasty can be extended for several more seasons. Picking a school to spend your next four years in is a big deal for most normal students, but being a top-notch athlete presents its own set of things to consider before making a decision. So what’s the thought process behind a recruit choosing one school over another? Two current UAAP stars and two future UAAP standouts share their stories with GMA News. “The Phenom” Kiefer Ravena considered playing in the United States, but despite rumors linking him to US NCAA Division I schools like Butler University, Ravena did not actually get any offers, mostly because he was too young,  being just a 17-year-old at that time. Wooed by many local schools in both the UAAP and the NCAA, Ravena eventually decided to stay blue and move on to Ateneo de Manila University, to the relief of fans in Katipunan. Contrary to what many people think, Ravena didn’t receive anything special from Ateneo and was recruited just like any other potential Blue Eagle. The biggest factor in his choice to stay though is loyalty, simple as that. In fact, as early as June of his senior year in high school, he was already pretty much set on going to Ateneo should an offer from the US not materialize. “I applied only to Ateneo. I didn’t take tests other than the ACET,” Ravena said. “It’s everyone’s high school dream to play for Ateneo in college. Aside from the winning tradition, it’s the quality education that’s important. Okay din yung campus and teammates ko.” Big man Russel Escoto is another lad who remained loyal to his high school. From FEU-FERN, he continued to play for the Far Eastern University Tamaraws despite getting wooed by San Beda College and University of the Philippines. “Dun na kasi puso ko eh,” he explained simply. But even though he stayed with the same system, he said that he still had to adjust a lot. “Nag-adjust pa din ako kahit same school kasi sa high school takbuhan, sa college pisikalan. Nung unang practice ko nga, binangga-bangga agad nila ako eh,” he recalls with a grin. JJ Alejandro is one of the most sought-after high school seniors after a successful career with the Mapua Red Robins. He averaged an NCAA Juniors-best 25.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals last season. However, his biggest stint was earning the captaincy of the Energen Pilipinas Under-16 national team which finished fourth in last year’s FIBA U-16 tournament. With all the accolades under his belt, he decided to stick it out with the man who molded him - Coach Eric Altamirano of the National Basketball Training Center, the grassroots program for basketball in the country. With Altamirano currently at the helm of the National University Bulldogs, it was an easy decision for Alejandro to follow him there. "I think NU's basketball program will help me develop my skills more. They're a young team and I'm looking forward to contributing," Alejandro said. Even if NU hasn't broken into the UAAP Final Four in ages, he believes that that might just change this season under the wings of Altamirano. Perhaps the biggest prospect this off-season is Xavier School star Jeron Teng. The son of former PBA star Alvin Teng received numerous offers from various schools. Among the offers though, he only considered the ones from Ateneo, La Salle and National University. Contrary to what many think, he did not receive a solid offer from University of Santo Tomas where his elder brother Jeric is playing so that was obviously out of the equation. So what made him choose to become a Green Archer? “Last season, La Salle didn’t perform well in the UAAP. I wanna challenge myself to contribute to the team and bring back La Salle’s glory days,” said the younger Teng. “Plus my dad used to work for Mr. Cojuangco so now that he’s supporting La Salle, it seemed like a good move,” he added. The most curious reason though is a ritual he did with his family. As a Filipino-Chinese household, the Tengs usually go to temples to pray. While Jeron was weighing his college options, they did a certain ritual where they asked if going to La Salle would be a favorable decision. No need to guess what the answer was as he’s now set to take up Marketing in La Salle. - AMD, GMA News