It was a busy week in high school hoops, as the UAAP is about the enter the closing stages of its elimination round, while the MMBL concluded its season.
Despite this, the top five in Week 4 of the Chooks-to-Go/National Basketball Training Center Top 24 rankings stayed the same. 23 for 2023 cadet Kai Sotto stayed on top, while for the second straight week, SJ Belangel edged out Joel Cagulangan as the best point guard prospect in the country.
NCAA Season 93 Juniors Most Valuable Player and UP commit Will Gozum stayed at four, while L-Jay Gonzales of FEU closed out the top five.
UST ace CJ Cansino dropped to nine as the Tiger Cubs struggled in the second round of the UAAP, losing four of their last five games. On the other hand, John Galinato, who steered Chiang Kai Shek to the MMBL crown, and Joem Sabandal, who has led Adamson in their second round surge, rose to 15 and 22 respectively.
CESAFI student-athletes Beirn Laurente from University of Visayas climbed to the top 20, while Alex Visser of Sacred Heart High School made his debut.
Here is the complete rankings:
1. Kai Sotto, ADMU (1)
2. SJ Belangel, ADMU (2)
3. Joel Cagulangan, LSGH (3)
4. Will Gozum, MU (4)
5. L-Jay Gonzales, FEU (5)
6. Rhayan Amsali, NU (6)
7. Dave Ildefonso, ADMU (8)
8. RJ Abarrientos, FEU (9)
9. CJ Cansino, UST (7)
10. Aaron Fermin, AU (12)
11. Clint Escamis, MU (10)
12. John Galinato, CKSC (15)
13. Inand Fornilos, LSGH (13)
14. Warren Bonifacio, MU (16)
15. Evan Nelle, SBC (14)
16. Terrence Fortea, NU (11)
17. Joem Sabandal, ADU (22)
18. Raven Cortez, DLSZ (18)
19. Joaqui Manuel, ADMU (17)
20. Beirn Laurente, UV (23)
21. Alex Visser, SHS-Cebu
22. Mac Guadana, LPU (19)
23. Harvey Pagsanjan, HCHS (20)
24. Maui Cruz, EAC (21)
On February 6, Chooks-to-Go/NBTC 24 will go live on the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas Facebook page. Stay tuned as the show begins at 7:00pm.
—
The Chooks-to-Go/National Basketball Training Center 24 is the first-ever attempt to rank the top high school prospects in the country today.
The weekly ranking used the following criteria: league stats, impact in team, team record, leadership, defense, offense, and level of competition.
These rankings will be used to determine the 24 players who will take part in the annual SM-NBTC High School All-Star Game on March at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
