: GAMEFACE :: Hardcore Philippine Amateur Basketball ::. (original) (raw)

Amateur basketball has always been a sport where creativity, versatility and athletic ability converge into a beautiful, rhythmic, even poetic story. It is performance art and raw physical power rolled into one. Gameface.ph proudly presents the men who embody all of these ideals in the greatest sport ever invented. These warriors of the hardwood continue to dazzle us with their unique abilities, entertain us with their mastery of game, and attract more and more fans to the fastest-growing team sport on the planet. They, without a doubt, continue to change the face of the game.

Hardcore hoops junkies, fans, and basketball lovers everywhere, Gameface.ph presents the Hardcore Achievers for 2006-2007.

The Mythical 5

Macky Escalona, 5’8” 145 pounds, guard. Escalona was once dismissed as nothing more than a career backup, having been LA Tenorio’s caddy at Ateneo De Manila. In Season 69 of the UAAP basketball tournament though, he came on like a rumbling of thunder, surprising opponents and fans in general with his improved jumpshot, playmaking and leadership. Escalona finally emerged from the considerably large shadow of Tenorio and arrived as an all-star baller.

In the PBL, the showcase amateur tournament of the country, he is leading the league in assists (6.57 APG) and steals (2.57 SPG) while playing on a star-studded Cebuana-Lhuillier team. Escalona once dreamed of pursuing a law degree. That has been put on hold for now as his star continues to shine and people discover what many people have known: Macky Escalona can play serious ball.

Jason Castro, 5’9” 140 pounds, guard. Castro has been nothing short of a revelation in Season 82 of the NCAA basketball tournament as well as the ongoing PBL Silver Cup. He was also once dismissed as nothing more than an able sidekick to long-time PCU and PBL superstar teammate Gabby Espinas. Now Castro is fast proving that he is every bit a superstar in his own right. After nearly delivering the NCAA cage diadem to PCU singlehandedly he continues to shine as the engine driving the Hapee-PCU team in the PBL.

Castro led Hapee-PCU to a six-game winning streak in the ongoing PBL Silver Cup and continues to make his teammates better. Veteran Larry Rodriguez, Hapee-PCU’s leading scorer in this tournament, is enjoying basketball again with the hustle and playmaking of Castro getting him the ball at just the right time and in his favorite spots. Without a doubt, Castro’s hardcore hoops star will be shining bright for a long time to come.

Honorable Mentions: Bon Bon Custodio, Jojo Duncil, Pong Escobal, Jonas Villanueva

Allan Evangelista, 6’3” 190 pounds, forward. Say what you will about Allan Evangelista – unassuming, boring, unspectacular. The bottomline remains: He has emerged as the ultimate sleeper. In Santo Tomas’ improbable march to the UAAP Season 69 men’s basketball crown, Evangelista nailed tough shots, made clutch plays and hustled his butt off, things not necessarily reflected into superstar stats. Yet these are the things that win championships. From being a player who merely backed up Santo Tomas superstars like Christian Luanzon, Warren De Guzman and even Jemal Vizcara, Allan Evangelista has become a superstar, and has something those guys do not: a UAAP championship.

It is these qualities that have elevated Evangelista to the upper echelons of hardcore hoops. For those who love fantasy league play, anyone who picked this guy for his team must be laughing all the way to the bank by now.

Floyd Dedicatoria, 6’4” 185 pounds, forward. First he made the NCAA Season 82 Mythical 5 while leading JRU to a near-Final 4 berth. Along the way he also averaged career highs in scoring and rebounding, collaring a double-double average. Then in the recent Homegrown Cup he led JRU all the way to the Finals where his Heavy Bombers gave a mighty De La Salle squad all it could handle. This is what hardcore is all about.

The beauty of Dedicatoria’s emergence as a hardcore hoops superstar is the almost imperceptible way he got it done. Before last season, college hoops fans new him only as a streak-shooting player without any defense. Last year he quite literally carried Jose Rizal on his back throughout the entire NCAA tournament and did the same in the Homegrown Cup. His play has made the likes of role players like Jason Sena and Jon Hayes near-All Stars.

Honorable Mentions: Yousif Al Jammal, JC Intal, Doug Kramer, Anthony Espiritu

Sam Ekwe, 6’8” 235 pounds, center. Sam Ekwe is pursuing studies to join the Holy Orders. Of course like any good student he wants to get some extracurricular activities in, hence basketball. No one quite figured he would take to the sport like a cheetah on the Serengeti. In Season 82 of the NCAA, Ekwe led the San Beda Red Lions to their first title in 28 years as he led the league in rebounds and blocks. He was named Most Valuable Player AND Rookie of the Year, duplicating the feat of Gabby Espinas.

In the ongoing PBL Silver Cup he is second overall in the Player Efficiency Ratings, coming in second overall in field goal shooting, rebounds and blocks. Not bad for a guy who could barely catch an entry pass about a year back. And that is the ultimate beauty of Ekwe’s game. All of the other players here have been playing ball most of their lives. Ekwe learned the game seriously and participated in organized ball just a couple of years ago. Now he is an MVP.

Honorable Mentions: Ken Bono, Jervy Cruz, Gabby Espinas

THE GAMEFACE.PH HARDCORE PLAYER OF 2006

Sam Ekwe

To have come so far in such a relatively short time in the modern game of basketball is nothing to sneeze at. You can take one look at Sam Ekwe and mistakenly assume that with his size it is expected he would dominate. But size alone does not a great baller make. There have been many big men who have dabbled in the hoops science yet did not have the impact Ekwe is making now.

Looking at the local basketball landscape there are players nearly Ekwe’s size, and sometimes even bigger, who cannot get a rebound nor reject a shot unless it fell in their laps. It is a testament to the coaching Ekwe has gotten that he has learned so much so soon. But it is an even bigger testament to his personal work ethic and determination that he has gotten this far. It is not just his league-leading numbers that make Ekwe exceptional. It is his personal capacity to change the face of the game. And that is why he is the gameface.ph hardcore player of the year.

Honorable Mentions: Jason Castro, Floyd Dedicatoria