New La Salle booster Mans Carpio welcomes Mark Nonoy, Deo Cuajao

De La Salle University program booster Atty. Mans Carpio welcomed Mark Nonoy and Deo Cuajao to the Green Archers, Tuesday.

Nonoy, Cuajao, and Team Phenom Sports president Jackson Chua flew to Davao City on Monday to meet the new La Salle backer.

Carpio, a product of La Salle who graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science back in 1998, played a huge part in recruiting Nonoy and Cuajao, and as well as Kevin Quiambao, to Taft Avenue.

For Carpio, he wants to help in bringing homegrown basketball upstarts to one of the country’s biggest collegiate programs.

“Through the years, La Salle has become one of the biggest and proudest collegiate basketball programs in the country. My goal is to open the doors of the school to more homegrown players who cannot afford to study there through sports,” said Carpio as Nonoy is from Negros Occidental and Cuajao is from Davao.

“That is the true meaning of the Animo spirit.”

Both Nonoy and Cuajao, who are under Team Phenom Sports, spent one year in University of Santo Tomas.

Nonoy, a 5-foot-8 floor general, posted norms of 11.11 points, 3.83 rebounds, and 2.78 assists per game during his first UAAP year to cop the Rookie of the Year award.

Though totaling just 13 points in his first UAAP season with UST, Cuajao — a 6-foot-1 swingman –proved his worth in the PBA D-League. There, he posted numbers of 17.5 points on 56.3-percent shooting from distance in two games played.

The two will have to sit out one year before being eligible for the UAAP Season 84 tournament.