Clint Escamis admitted that he’s received feelers from the professional ranks now that he only has a year remaining in his eligibility with Mapua.
But the Cardinals star did not elaborate further on who has been encouraging him to make the jump, as he’s still taking the time before deciding.
“Oo, siyempre. Pero may mga nagpaparamdam. Pero siyempre, bawal sabihin,” the 24-year-old said with a chuckle. “Pero undecided pa ‘ko.”
Tiebreaker Times learned from sources that two entities have expressed interest in acquiring the services of Escamis, whose stock rose after leading Mapua in ending its 33-year title drought in the NCAA men’s basketball competitions.
One of those is a club from the Korean Basketball League (KBL), which has welcomed a number of Filipino imports in recent years — none more notable than former Gilas Pilipinas teammates RJ Abarrientos and SJ Belangel.
Currently, all 10 KBL member teams feature one Filipino in their lineup, all of which have been playing under the Asian Quota Players program.
If and only a spot opens up in Korea, Escamis would be joining Belangel and other compatriots such as JD Cagulangan, Carl Tamayo, Javi and Juan Gomez de Liano, and Kevin Quiambao, to name some.
Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) outfit Abra is the other team hoping to secure the 5-foot-11 combo guard on a full-time basis.
He did see action for the Weavers in the 2024 season, a stint made possible as Cardinals deputy Yong Garcia is concurrently the young team’s head coach.
Plus, incumbent La Paz mayor and former congressman JB Bernos, the team owner of Abra, is among the backers of Mapua’s men’s hoops program.
Interest has indeed risen toward Escamis especially after what he’s done over the past two seasons. It could be recalled that he was hailed Rookie MVP of the NCAA Season 99 as he steered the Cardinals to a runner-up finish.
Then, of course, came the historic feat the following season, steering his side to the crown to finally end a decades-long wait by beating St. Benilde.
He eventually bagged home Finals MVP honors after averaging 24.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 4.0 steals to lead the way in sweeping the Blazers.
Still, Escamis, as he said, remains undecided for the time being, and would want to celebrate their success before taking his next steps.
In fact, he and his teammates on Saturday took part in a reunion organized by some of the past Cardinals and held at the VFarm Garden Resort of Coach Chito Victolero — himself a Mapuan — in Santa Maria, Bulacan.
There, they were surrounded by some of the legends from the university, such as Atoy Co, Benny Cheng, Joel Banal, and Randy Alcantara, to name a few.
“Ine-enjoy ko lang muna,” the two-time Mythical Team member said. “Sine-seize ko talaga, hindi ko tine-take for granted ‘yung mga moments na ganito.”
