Kieffer Alas and Lebron Jhames Daep have been carving their own paths to stardom.
Now, the two rising stars find themselves at the pinnacle of Philippine high school basketball, taking the top two spots in the 2025 Foot Locker NBTC 24.
UAAP Season 87 MVP Alas of De La Salle Zobel secured the No. 1 ranking, cementing his status as the best under-19 player in the country. Hot on his heels is Perpetual’s Daep, who made a meteoric rise to claim the No. 2 spot.
Las Piñas City has become the epicenter of high school basketball, as both Alas and Daep hail from schools in the south.
Alas, a Las Piñas native, delivered an all-around performance for the Jr. Archers in the recently-concluded UAAP season, averaging 20.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals.
His dominance allowed him to claim the top ranking previously held by now-Ateneo lead guard Jared Bahay for two consecutive years.
Meanwhile, Daep made a significant leap from No. 11 last year to No. 2, thanks to his stellar numbers of 15.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 assists in the ongoing NCAA season, where he has been a key player for the front-running Jr. Altas.
As a result, Alas will once again captain Team Hustle in the 2025 Foot Locker NBTC All-Star Game, set for April 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena. He will face off against Daep, who will lead Team Heart.
Joining Alas in Team Hustle are his DLSZ teammate Bonn Daja; UAAP standouts Cabs Cabonilas (FEU-Diliman), Jay-M Leal (Ateneo), Earl Medina (Adamson), Joaqui Ludovice (UST), and Migs Palanca (NU-Nazareth School); NCAA talents Jhuniel Dela Rama (Letran) and Guillian Quines (La Salle Green Hills); Regional Championship (RC) MVPs Kenneth Avila (North Luzon) and John Lloyd Martinez (Visayas); and Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu’s Froilan Maglasang.
“I’m so thankful to NBTC because I’ve been here for three years now. This time, I want to make the most of this opportunity para naman maka-inspire ng mga young kids,” said Alas, who became the youngest All-Star in NBTC history as a 16-year-old in 2023.
On the other hand, Daep will be joined by Adamson’s Mark Esperanza, UST’s Koji Buenaflor, FEU-Diliman’s Cabs Cabonilas, and NUNS’ Mac Alfanta at the forefront, along with fellow Perpetual standout Jan Roluna and NCAA rivals-turned-teammates MJ Vailoces (San Beda), Sean Salvador (Mapúa), Daniel Padilla (Letran), and Ian Cuajao (EAC).
Completing Team Heart are SHS-Ateneo’s Jelomar Rota, and RC MVPs Jancarl Gadlan (South Luzon) and Karlocaezar Estomo (Mindanao).
“Sobrang excited ko po kasi dito sa NBTC, nabibigyan ang mga bata ng chance para ipakita ang laro nila sa mas maraming tao,” said Daep, who, despite his name, considers Giannis Antetokounmpo his favorite NBA player.
Rising stars from international and regional teams competing in the 2025 NBTC National Finals will also be added to the rosters of Team Hustle and Team Heart.
Alongside the annual showcase of top young talents, this year’s NBTC event will also feature an All-Star Game for the Manila Live girls’ tournament and the Manila Showcase, which will pit the best players from Manila Live against standout performers from the National Finals.
