Kieffer Alas showed signs of rust during De La Salle-Zobel’s UAAP Season 87 High School Boys’ Basketball debut last Sunday.
In the first four quarters against UP Integrated School, the 6-foot-2 winger struggled with his shooting, going just 4-of-17 from the field.
“It’s my first game back since the injury. I expected na medyo rusty nung first to third [quarter], pero nung fourth, I started to find my rhythm,” shared Alas.
“Coach Boris (Aldeguer) always reminded me na I’ll always get my chances as long as I keep on trusting my teammates and doing the right play.”
Despite his early struggles, the 17-year-old proved why he is a cut above the rest.
In overtime, Alas took charge, scoring six of the Junior Archers’ seven points to help secure a hard-fought 79-77 victory over the Maroons.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Yung galing ni Kieffer, that’s a given. He works really hard every day. Every year, you can see the big improvement,” said long-time DLSZ head coach Boris Aldeguer.
“It’s just unfortunate that Kieffer had an injury during that Gilas stint, but right now, he’s just trying to get his rhythm, and it’s already there. I can feel that in the next games, we’ll see more of the real Kieffer Alas.”
The off-season had been both long and challenging for Alas.
A day before the FIBA Under-17 World Cup, Alas, who had earned a spot in the All-Asia Under-16 Mythical Team, suffered an ACL scare. Fortunately, it was only a sprain, but it forced him to miss the biggest youth basketball tournament.
“I’ve been cleared for three months na. For now, I’m just trying to get my rhythm back. Personally, I feel like my rhythm is back na, especially with this win, so sana tuloy-tuloy na,” he said.
The pain of missing out on the World Cup still lingers, but Alas is channeling it as fuel to lead DLSZ to the Final Four.
“I’m super hungry. My first two years, wala kami naabot. I’m not gonna jinx anything, but I’m just gonna try my best to hopefully make the most out of my last year,” the Grade 11 winger said.
