Monico Cup standouts eyed by varsity scouts

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – As it had been in the past centerpiece grassroots outreach sports program of Bacolod Representative Monico Puentevella's congressional district office, standouts of the 5th Monico Cup Under-19 Inter-Barangay summer basketball tournament, which drew to a close last Sunday at the West Negros University Gym, are being recruited by colleges and universities here and elsewhere in the country to join their varsity squads for the coming school year. As a tournament official told Sun.Star Bacolod at least three members of back-to-back champion Barangay Estefania "were recruited by a Manila school (and left for Manila) in the middle of the elimination round, which was the reason why Estefania failed to advance to the final four of the recent tournament." Other mainstays of teams like Cabug, Pahanocoy, Taculing and eventual champion Barangay Villamonte also revealed they have been getting "offers" to either try out or join outright several Bacolod schools. Among the schools the players cited were University of St. La Salle and Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod in Negros as well as Far Eastern University, St. Francis of Assisi College, University of the East, San Sebastian College, San Beda College and Adamson University in Manila and, University of Visayas and University of San Carlos in Cebu City, among others. Among the former standouts of the past Monico Cup editions, who are now playing with varsity squads and enjoying collegiate scholarships in the process are former MVPs Vengie Vergara, Alfie Villariza and Briton Javelona of the West Negros University Mustangs and Joemel Paderog of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos Rams. Playing in Manila with the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles is Siverino "Nonoy" Baclao while his former teammate in Barangay Bata, Raymund Ilagan, is with the St. Francis of Assisi Doves. - Sun.Star