Ateneo De Manila continues to ramp up its recruiting efforts after announcing the commitment of Kyle Gamber on Saturday evening.
The addition of the Fil-Am point guard will not only bolster the Blue Eagles’ basketball program but also the youth squad of Gilas Pilipinas.
Gamber’s parents were born in the Philippines with his dad Dave hailing from Cagayan De Oro and his mom Geline tracing her roots from Cebu.
However, according to Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin, the 17-year-old’s eligibility to play as a local for the national team is still hanging in the balance despite being a dual citizen by birth.
“Kyle started his application process for his Filipino passport well before he was 16 but he wasn’t granted a passport until afterwards,” the former Gilas mentor revealed. “So there’s a gray area there now where SBP is in discussion with FIBA and we’re all very hopeful that Kyle is granted a local status.
“If he is, then we expect Kyle to be here relatively soon to join the Under-18.”
According to Baldwin, Gilas Youth head coach Josh Reyes is already eyeing Gamber to be a key piece of the program moving forward. At the same time, the 6-foot-4 playmaker is also keen on playing for the flag once his status gets approved by FIBA.
“I was talking to Coach Josh Reyes today and Josh was very hopeful that that will happen,” he shared.
“I think Josh even has in his mind, he said that if there were any problems, he would be happy to take Kyle as a naturalized. But maybe we don’t want to set a precedent on that — it’s a difficult scenario.”
“Kyle wants to play for Gilas, he wants to play the Under-18,” Baldwin claimed. “His aspiration is to represent the country and that’s a noble aspiration. So we hope he gets the approval — that he will meet his teammates.”
Currently ranked no. 31 by Maxpreps in the state of Delaware, Gamber would be a huge addition to a team that is expected to include the likes of Jared Bahay, Jacob Bayla, and Mason Amos.
The Under-18 squad is set to see action in the upcoming 2022 FIBA U18 Asian Championship slated on August 21 to 28 in Tehran, Iran.
Regardless of his status, Baldwin is hoping to get the fans’ support for Gamber as he finishes his high school career with Polytech High School before flying to the Philippines in the following year.
“If not, then I will encourage everybody to follow Kyle in his last year of high school basketball,” he said. “He’s going to have a great season over there and it’s gonna be exciting to watch his progress on the court in his senior year of high school.
“Obviously, when he graduates next May, we’ll be looking to get him over here after his graduation as soon as possible to prepare for the following UAAP season.”
