Cage camp aims to boost jr. players skills

MANILA, Philippines – The Nike Elite Camp opens its doors to 59 promising high school basketball players from April 3 to 8 at the Brent International School in Mamplasan, Laguna. Camp director Alex Compton said the three-day event aims to improve on the participants skills through several drills aside from the much-anticipated Life Talks pertaining to behavior off the court and the All Star games to be shown on television. “(The) Nike Elite Camp remains to be a pioneer in gathering all these top high school players under one roof to further mold them to be players capable of reaching it to the next level, whether on basketball or in life," said Compton. Camp participants are determined through the nomination of high school coaches and then later through the evaluation of a committee which includes Compton. Members of the Nokia Pilipinas Under-16 team will also take part in the camp. Among the participants coming from Metro Manila-based campuses are: Ryan Monteclaro (UE); Masshu Okubo and Joseph Eriobu (University of Perpetual Help); Loui Philippe Vigil and Keith Agovida (Jose Rizal University); Glenn Khobuntin, Mark Cruz, Jeffrey Ongteco and Jarelan Tampus (Letran); Jomar Adornado, Aljon Mariano and Luigi Pumaren (La Salle Greenhills); Bon Jovi Cipriano, Ivan Enriquez, Raphael Banal, Paolo Pe and Martin Pascual (Ateneo); and Nico Elorde, Gwynne Capacio and Luigi de la Paz (De La Salle Zobel). Also participating are Ricci Gonzales (Brent); Mark Juruena (Adamson); Eduardo Daquiag (Brent); Benjie Teodoro (Informatics); Jessmar Sabangan (RTU); Kyle Neypes (UST); Zack Tabriani (International School); Jethro Rosario (TIP); Russel Escoto and Terrence Romeo (FEU-FERN); and Baser Amer, Art de la Cruz, Von Chavez, Luis Pujante, Albert Tanquintic, Dave Moralde, Alfonso Gotladera and Christopher Javier (San Beda). The camp also features for the first time players from Iloilo (Hero Tomilloso, Francis Donahue); Cagayan de Oro (Rafael Melocoton, Sean Benedict Lucero and Orly Pelopero, Elmer Labis); Davao (Erickson Galacgac, Gryann Mendoza Reden Celda, Kinsman Frando, Larry John Malanday and Jhul Ian Elle) and Olongapo (Hans Sabal and Lomell Loyola). Also coming from Cebu are Hans Cabrera, Raffy Octobre, Kristoffer Porter, Gabe Branzuela and Joven Sepe while Excel Nocu and GJ Ylagan will be representing General Santos City and Lucena respectively. – GMANews.TV