Alas to skip final year in Letran, focus on Gilas

MANILA, Philippines – Coming off a very successful stint in the 88^th season of the NCAA, Letran skipper Kevin Alas has decided to forego his final year of eligibility for the Letran Knights this upcoming season.

In a decision made earlier this morning Alas reiterated that now is the perfect time to leave the school that he led to a run to the finals last year. Alas, through a text message, confirmed to Rappler that his decision to leave the school is already final.

“Yes, it’s confirmed. I have already asked for permission from Fr. Rector [Tamerlane Lana],” Alas mentioned in Filipino.

Alas said that his main reason for leaving the Knights is that he’ll be focusing on the Smart Gilas, the Men’s National Basketball team, a program wherein he’s tied to for two years. The Ace Knight also mentioned that his move is also a way for recruits and other upstarts to find their game and flourish for the Letran Knights.

“I’m just going to focus on Smart Gilas right now because my contract there is set for two years,” Alas said. “I think this is also a way of letting new recruits like [Rey] Nambatac get accustomed to the system,” he added.

The Ace Knight had a fairly successful year last year wherein he once again bagged mythical five honors in the NCAA with averages of 20.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5 APG and 2 SPG, leading the Knights to their first finals appearance since 2007.

Alas was also successful internationally, being named the Most Valuable Player in the 19^th Kung Sheung Cup in Hong Kong, while playing for the Smart Gilas Men’s Basketball team. – Rappler.com