National University has found a ready-made replacement for Kean Baclaan, while also adding to its stockpile of athletic and versatile wings.
The Bulldogs have secured the services of UAAP Season 86 boys basketball champions Tebol Garcia and Vince Reyes, who will join a playoff contender now led by Jake Figueroa, Steve Nash Enriquez, and Reinhard Jumamoy.
“Malaking addition ang nakuha natin ngayon dahil ang dalawang ito, hindi lang magagaling na player, kundi mga nanalo pa,” said head coach Jeff Napa.
Just two months ago, Garcia and Reyes helped lead Adamson High School to its first title since 1993 — interestingly, at the expense of NU-Nazareth School.
The former is a 5-foot-11 guard who averaged 12.4 points, 5.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals, while the latter stands at 6-foot-3 and had norms of 12.7 markers, 7.3 boards, 2.7 dimes, and 1.3 pilfers.
Garcia, the no. 5 under-19 player in the Philippines according to the NBTC, will be a big boost to National U’s guard rotation that lost Kean Baclaan to De La Salle University and will now hand over the reins to Enriquez and Jumamoy.
Reyes (no. 7 U19 player), for his part, will be another do-it-all weapon head coach Jeff Napa can deploy alongside the likes of Figueroa and Jolo Manansala.
“Ang malaking hakbang na ito ay nagpapakita ng pag-unlad natin at sana, sa patuloy na pagpapakita ng maturity nina Jake, Nash, at Reinhard pati na rin ng mga bagong promising player natin, mas makakamit pa natin ang mas mataas na antas,” said National U’s always amiable mentor.
The Bulldogs advanced to the Final Four in back-to-back campaigns and now aim for greater heights in their third season under Napa’s watchful eye.
Meanwhile, JC Bonzalida is headed to San Beda for college while Gene Carillo will go to College of Saint Benilde.
In a post, Adamson head coach Nash Racela could only lament, posting “0-4”, pertaining to the four graduating student-athletes of the Adamson High School program.
