After liking dead eye shooter Jerrick Ahanmisi to La Salle great Renren Ritualo, another Adamson rookie has been likened to another Green Archer by first year Adamson head coach Franz Pumaren.
18-year-old Filipino-American point guard Nico Paranada has rarely played in the first six games of the Adamson University Soaring Falcons, playing just 3.3 minutes in just three games.
“I just got here five months ago. I’m still 18 years old,” the point guard from San Diego, California said. “I’m just working hard and try to adjust to how it is out here. as long as I play hard, I’m sure I’ll adjust.”
But when he was given the minutes on Wednesday, he made sure to make the most out of it. Paranada dropped 14 points and was able to steal the ball four times, leading Adamson’s 27-point rout of the UST Growling Tigers. And after seeing his recruit perform under big minutes, coach Franz Pumaren showered his rookie with the highest of praises, likening him to one-time UAAP champion JVee Casio.
“Well, you know, Nico, that’s why I recruited him from San Diego, he has all the potential, he has all the makings of a very good player,” Pumaren said about Paranada.
“In fact, my description is just like describing JVee Casio.
“Very unpredictable, you think he’s slow but he’s quick, high basketball IQ. But he’s still adjusting to college basketball, and Philippine type of basketball here,” he furthered.
Paranada admitted that the current Alaska Aces guard and former National Team player is one of the players he looks up to in the local scene.
“The first time I met coach Franz, that was the first thing he told me. He told me go look up who JVee Casio is, because you remind me of him,” Paranada, who is 12 years younger than Casio, said.
“I looked him up and ever since then i just looked up to him as an idol, try to play like him, similar to him.”
And ever since then, he has tediously studied the moves of Casio.
“Yes, yes [i study his game]. After coach franz told me to look him up, so I did, and I saw how he played, how similar I am to him, so I just look up to him and try to play like him,” he added.
Besides the spark he brings to the floor, Pumaren is thinking of playing Paranada more often due to an unusual occurrence every time Panarada steps into the floor.
“You know, if you look at our four games, all the games that he played, he won,” Pumaren quipped.
