Adamson finally reaps rewards of contending HS team
IN the last six years, Adamson won a breakthrough championship on top of four other playoff appearances in UAAP boys' basketball.
The Baby Falcons' success, however, didn't necessarily translate to San Marcelino's seniors squad, as the likes of Jake Figueroa, Tebol Garcia, Vince Reyes, and JC Bonzalida all decided to take their talents elsewhere.
At long last, times have changed, and the Soaring Falcons have themselves harvested the bountiful produce of their contending high school program.
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Led by Earl Medina, seven Baby Falcons are moving up, all readily eligible come Season 88.
Medina is the marquee name, being No. 16 in the NBTC's annual ranking of the top 24 under-19 players in the Philippines. He is a versatile 6-foot-3 forward who posted per game counts of 11.0 points, including a total of 27 triples, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks in 33 minutes.
"This is definitely a breakthrough for the program. Having our HS players prioritize us despite our limitations is a huge step moving forward," beamed head coach Nash Racela.
"Though we are aware we might not feel the impact immediately this season, we all know this will be beneficial to Adamson in the long run. This is just the first step among many in strengthening the basketball program of the university."
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The 18-year-old 3-and-D wing will be a much-welcome addition to the white-and-blue rotation that will still include AJ Fransman and Royce Mantua.
Two other wings in Sanir Sajili (6.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists) and Johnrey Abayon (3.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists) also committed to the Soaring Falcons, alongside 6-foot-7 bigs Allen Perez (8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.1 assists) and Jireh Tumaneng (3.0 points, 2.4 rebounds).
Completing Adamson's 7-of-7 haul from its juniors team are guards CJ Umali (7.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals) and Gabe De Jesus (4.9 points, 1.7 rebounds).
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Moving forward, the Soaring Falcons are hoping to continue making the most of their pipeline from the Baby Falcons, with the synergy between shot-caller Racela and Mike Fermin, respectively, being stronger than ever.
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