MANILA, Philippines — The UST Growling Tigers scooped up recruits SJ Moore of Arellano High School and Gab Obusan of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, the team announced on Friday, March 24.
The 6–foot-2 Moore is known for his high-flying exploits in the NCAA juniors basketball tournament, and was recently named as the NBTC All-Star Game MVP in a contest that featured the top 24 high school players in the country.
“We know the caliber of SJ and we see that he will be the future of UST,” said returning head coach Pido Jarencio.
“We are very happy he chose to join us,” he added.
The Tigers, who last won the UAAP men’s basketball championship in 2006, hope to recover from a woeful campaign in Season 85 that saw them finish last.
Moore normed 19.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game for the Braves, which fell short of Final Four contention.
Obusan, on the other hand, is a 6-foot-4 wing player who displayed his skills in the recent NBTC National Finals, where he averaged 13.7 points on 27% shooting from deep, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
He also curiously played against the UST Tiger Cubs in the league’s Division 2 Magic 12, where he hit some clutch shots before the Canada-based squad lost, 66-65.
“Obusan will be of great help because his heft can help us carve up some space inside and has an outside touch as well,” said Jarencio.
“He fits with the system that we are running in UST.”
Obusan calls UST as a welcoming school and sees it as the best choice for his collegiate education.
“I’ve seen a lot of schools in the UAAP, and UST made me feel like a family. I love the people here, I like the way we work here and it really makes me a better player,” he said.
“I just want to make an impact so we can win some games in the UAAP.” – Rappler.com
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