Jordan Clarkson, Jalen Green, Ticha Penicheiro highlight upcoming Jr. NBA Philippines Virtual Clinics

Ticha Penicheiro coaching a participant in the Jr. NBA Clinic back in 2019

The pandemic cannot stop grassroots development of basketball, as the NBA revealed this week its plan to revive the Jr. NBA program in the Philippines through Jr. NBA Philippines Clinics Online, a series of free virtual basketball clinics tailored for both boys and girls aged 13-17.

The Jr. NBA is the NBA's flagship global youth basketball program, aimed to promote a healthy and active lifestyle for its participants.

The 2021 edition will have two sessions. The first clinic on May 29 will feature Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz and Jalen Green of the G-League Ignite. Aside from the customary basketball drills with assistance by Jr. NBA coaches, both players will also participate in a life session and discuss the importance of fundamental skills training in their respective careers.

The second clinic on June 12 is tailored for girls, with WNBA legend Ticha Penicheiro serving as the guest.

NBA Philippines Managing Director Scott Levy shares, "We’re excited to bring together players from across the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League to inspire our young athletes participating in the first ever Jr. NBA Philippines Clinics Online. Shifting the Jr. NBA program to a virtual event will allow us to safely engage young boys and girls through basketball while continuing to promote the importance of an active and healthy lifestyle."

Aside from the clinics, Jr. NBA Philippines will also publish a series of videos featuring Clarkson, Penicheiro, former NBA coaches, local Jr. NBA coaches, and sports science resource speakers on a variety of topics, including nutrition, psychology, diversity and inclusion. These videos will be found on the Jr. NBA Philippines' page on Facebook.

Aside from the virtual clinics, the program is conducting a search to identify ten boys and ten girls that would be participating in the Jr. NBA Asia-Pacific Camp online, a one-day virtual event on July 31 that features advanced basketball instruction, skills challenges, and interactive sessions involving select NBA and WNBA players. To be conducted via social media, the twenty lucky participants will join their counterparts across the region

Interested participants can register on www.jrnbaasia.com. One can also check the site for more details about the program.

Six add international flavor to NBTC All-Star Game

This guy is joining Team Heart

The NBTC has announced a few more additions to the 2019 Chooks-to-Go SM NBTC All-Star Game this coming Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Six players from three of the overseas squads will be joining the local HS stars in one of the much-anticipated gathering of some of the best Filipino high school ballers.

Joining Team Heart of injured captain Joel Cagulangan are three key cogs of FilAm Sports USA, with Jalen Green, Jeron Artest, and Kai Ballungay. They join the Charles Tiu-coached squad alongside Carl Tamayo, Inand Fornilos, Joshua David, Harvey Pagsanjan, Aaron Fermin, Paolo Hernandez, Dan Arches, Joshua Yerro, Mac Guadana, Rafael Go, Joem Sabandal, and Adam Doria.

A fourth member of FilAm Sports USA in Brandon Wilson will join Durham Crossover's Tayler Garcia and AusPinoy's Jasper Rentoy will join Team Hustle of captain Kai Sotto. They join the Chris Gavina-coached squad alongside Mark Nonoy, Bismarck Lina, Gerry Abadiano, Terrence Fortea, Kevin Quiambao, Geo Chiu, Forthsky Padrigao, RJ Abarrientos, John Amores, Jonnel Policarpio, Tony Ynot, and the injured Clint Escamis.

The All Star Game will take place on Saturday, with the Div II version at 12nn and the Div I version at 3pm. Game will be shown LIVE on 5Plus.

The Chooks-to-Go SM NBTC National Finals presented by SM and the NBTC All-Star Game is also sponsored by Darlington-Exped Socks, EPSON, Huawei, Freego, Purefoods, Gatorade, Go for Gold, and Molten. It is also presented by ESPN5 and Lighthouse Events.

The week-long tourney is still free of admission, with fans needing just a valid ID to enter SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Strong start for Jalen Green, FilAm Sports at NBTC Nationals

Fil-Am phenom Jalen Green of FilAm Sports USA vs AusPinoy in the 2019 NBTC Nationals Seeding Round

The 2019 Chooks-to-Go NBTC National Finals presented by SM concluded on Monday with four more matches in the Seeding Round, with all matchups involving the overseas teams at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The most notable match saw Jalen Green fulfill the expectations being held for a guy ranked second in ESPN's 2020 recruiting rankings.

Green finished with twenty points, nine rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block to lead FilAm Sports USA to a 78-45 win over AusPinoy.

Eli Ramos scored ten of his fourteen points in the first quarter, while Kainoa Ballungay bullied his way to a double-double with nineteen points, twelve rebounds, an assist, a steal, and three rejections.

FilAm Sports USA asserted themselves on the defensive end to claim the 13th seed, holding the Fil-Australians to single digit scoring in the first two quarters. Green then took over in the third quarter with a ten-point outburst, on the way to claiming the 12th seed and a matchup against Perpetual-Laguna.

Head coach Bong Ulep shares, "Ngayon lang sila maglalaro as a team from different states in the US kaya I’m glad na we won. Medyo nung first half, 'di masyado makita yung chemistry. Sloppy ball game, as expected, pero nung second half, nag-pick up naman. Medyo umayos nang konti."

Jasper Rentoy led AusPinoy with nineteen points, six rebounds, a couple of assists and a couple of steals. As the 13th seed, they face Southern Philippines College - Cagayan de Oro.

In the closest game of the day involving the overseas teams, Durham Crossover hung on to defeat Far Eastern University, 69-66.

The Baby Tamaraws played their younger guys in this matchup against the Toronto-based unit, with an eye towards preparations for the 82nd Season of the UAAP. With nothing at stake save for seeding, top high school standout RJ Abarrientos was held out of the game. Even as such, they had a couple of chances to force overtime, but they were unable to convert a couple of triples from the right side.

Bryan Sajonia led FEU with nineteen points, four rebounds, and a couple of assists. Slotted as the 15th seed, they will face Floridablanca's St. Augustine Institute in the Super 32.

Durham Crossover rode on Denzel Faraon, Tayler Garcia, and Brendon Ocampo, who each chipped in fourteen points. The win slots them in as the tenth seed, and the matchup against late addition First City Providential Colleges of Bulacan.

Making it an unsuccessful NBTC are both Top Flight Hoops and Italy Europe Proudly Pinoy.

The latter lost to Hope Christian High School, 68-59, with Harvey Pagsanjan contributing 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Hope used a strong second quarter to overcome a sluggish first, scoring 23 points in the period while limiting Italy to just ten points. The ninth seeds now face Sto. Domingo National High School of Legazpi in the Super 32.

Renz Tubera led the way for Italy with a game-high 23 points, as they are now slotted as the 16th seeds and face Calayan Educational Foundation of Quezon.

The former, on the other hand, bowed to Camp David, 84-71, in the final game of the day.

With an undermanned lineup, the Kiwis rode on the performance of Reimar Cruz and his 26 points and eleven rebounds. As the 11th seed, they would face Dumaguete's St. Louis of Don Bosco in the Super 32.

The Vancouver-based Top Flight Hoops were led by Jerric Palma and his 23 points. They will face Tagum's Saint Mary's College as the 14th seeds.

Super 32 action commences Tuesday with matches at both the Mall of Asia Arena and at the Palm Coast Marina.

The 2019 Chooks-to-Go NBTC National Finals presented by SM is sponsored by Darlington-Exped Socks, EPSON, Huawei, Freego, Purefoods, Gatorade, Go for Gold, and Molten. It is alsopresented by ESPN5 and Lighthouse Events.

Six international teams add spice to NBTC

Camp David and Durham Crossover

Just it has been for the past couple of years, the NBTC National Finals has featured overseas-based squads, and the 2019 Chooks-to-Go NBTC National Finals presented by SM will not be different. In fact, the field has expanded.

Six squads from abroad will be ready to impress when the seeding round commences tomorrow at the Mall of Asia Arena, led by a returning top-ranked recruit in the 2020 class.

Jalen Green is leading the cast that FilAm Sports USA is fielding for this competition, making a return trip after impressing last year. The guard from Fresno set the NBTC record with his 51-point outburst last year and his dunk over Kai Sotto in the NBTC All-Star Game went viral. Green is currently the 2nd ranked player in ESPN's recruiting ranking for 2020. He has offers from 18 Div I schools, including five of the Pac-12 schools, and bluebloods Kansas and Kentucky.

Green will be alongside a couple of notable ballers hoping to impress not only scouts in the country but also back home. Joining him are fellow returnees Brandon Wilson and Boogie Ellis.

Jeron Artest, the son of former NBA defensive stalwart Metta World Peace, and Eli Ramos, the brother of Cal Poly-Pomona wingman Dwight Ramos, will also be helping Green make an impact for the Bong Ulep-coached side.

The 6'4 Artest plays point guard has an standing offer from the University of Wyoming, with interest from Baylor, Butler, California-Berkeley, and Nevada, according 247Sports. Meanwhile, the 6'3 Ramos plays guard is averaging 17.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.5 steals for Walnut High School in California.

Toronto's Durham Crossover also returns to NBTC play, with the core of Tyler Garcia, Denzel Faraon, Jason Diaz, and Josh Samonte making plays for coach Mike Cruz, while AusPinoy Australia will be riding on Jasper Rentoy. New Zealand's Camp David is also making their presence felt.

Completing the cast are two new squads. Italy Europe Proudly Pinoy will be bolstered by FEU's Chiolo Anonuevo, who averaged 5.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and nearly a block for the Baby Tamaraws this past season. Canada will have a second team in the NBTC National Finals with newcomer Top Flight Hoops Vancouver.

All six teams will playing in the Seeding Round, with four of them facing each other and the other two going up against the at-large teams picked by the Selection Committee.

The winner of the Italy Europe Proudly Pinoy against Hope Christian HS will be the 9th seed while the loser takes the 16th seed.

The winner of FEU-Diliman against Durham Crossover will be the 10th seed and the loser takes the 15th seed.

The winner of the Top Flight Hoops against Camp David will be the 11th seed and the loser takes the 14th seed.

The winner of the Filam Sports USA against AusPinoy will be the 12th seed and the loser takes the 13th seed.

The acutal knockout rounds will take place starting Tuesday with the Super 32. All matches, including the seeding round will be streamed online via ESPN5, with the semifinals, finals, and the All-Star Game to be shown on 5Plus.

The 2019 Chooks-to-Go NBTC National Finals presented by SM is also sponsored by Darlington-Exped Socks, EPSON, Huawei, Freego, Purefoods, Gatorade, Go for Gold, and Molten. It is also presented by ESPN5 and Lighthouse Events.

Field set for the 12th NBTC National Finals

Coming this March 18-24 at the Mall of Asia Arena

The field is now official for the 12th edition of the Chooks-to-Go NBTC National Finals, presented by SM.

Scheduled between March 18-24, it is considered as the de facto tournament to determine the best HS school team in the country, as it involves the champion teams from the different top tier HS basketball tournaments, as well as getting the best of the rest through its qualifiers. It's part of the grassroots project of the NBTC to unearth the best young basketball players in the country.

“We have seen the National Finals grow by leaps and bounds in our 12-year history,” said NBTC Program Director Alex Compton. “Not only in the number of competing teams and how it has become a showcase for all our high school and international talent, but also in terms of the National Finals become a major sporting event in the country. Every high school cager has dreams of making it to the National Finals and the All-Star Game.”

This year's edition saw qualifiers strewn across 105 cities nationwide, whittled down to sixteen regional champions.

Calayan Educational Foundation (Lucena)
St. Augustine (Pampanga)
Southern Philippines College (Cagayan de Oro)
St. Mary's College of Tagum
University of Perpetual Help System Laguna
St. Louis of Don Bosco (Dumaguete)
STI - West Negros University
Sto. Domingo National High School (Legazpi)
Narvacan National High School (Candon)
University of Baguio
Isabela College (Cauayan)
Lyceum - Cavite
Sta. Clarita International School (Iloilo)
Dolores National High School (Eastern Samar)
Zamboanga del Sur National High School
Holy Trinity College (General Santos)

These sixteen schools join the eight schools that have already been seeded into the tournament as champions or runners-up in their respective leagues

UAAP (Champion: Nazareth-NU / Runner-Up: Ateneo de Manila)
NCAA (Champion: Mapua/Malayan / Runner-Up: La Salle-Greenhills)
NBTC Cebu (Champion: Southwestern University-PHINMA / Runner-Up: University of San Jose-Recoletos)
MMBL (Champion: San Beda / Runner-Up: Letran)

Two more schools were given berths by the selection committee in Hope Christian High School and Far Eastern University.

Completing the cast of squads for the so-called Super 32 are six invited overseas-based teams:

FilAm Sports USA
Durham Crossover (Canada - Toronto)
AusPinoy (Australia)
Camp David (New Zealand)
Team Italy Europe Basketball
Top Flight Hoops (Canada - Vancouver)

Notable players from the overseas squads that have previously played in the National Finals are Matthew Daves (from Durham Crossover to Ateneo de Manila), Kamaka Hepa, Jalen Green, and Kihei Clark (all three with FilAm Sports USA, Kamaka now at University of Texas-Austin, Jalen now at Prolific Prep and considered as one of the top recruits in his HS class, Kihei now at the University of Virginia).

Green has affirmed his return to participate in the National Finals, in a video message that was aired during the press conference on Monday.

The format from last year is retained for this upcoming edition, where there is a seeding round to determine who are the 9-16 and 25-32 seeds in the Super 32. The losers from the Super 32 matchups move into their consolation round bracket to determine the Div II champion.

The Bullpups make their return to defend their Div I title, while a new Div II champion will be crowned with the absence of defending champions La Salle-Lipa.

Aside from the National Finals, the NBTC will also have other events taking place during the week. The NBTC Coaches Convention has been moved from its original October schedule to March 22-24, while the NBTC High School All-Star Game takes place on March 23.

Team Heart and Team Hustle make their return, as Kai Sotto and Joel Cagulangan made their choices this past weekend to comprise their All-Star rosters.

Serving as sponsors for the Chooks-to-Go NBTC National Finals presented by SM include: Exped, Freego, Purefoods, Go for Gold, Gatorade, Huawei, Molten, Epson, Arbiel Bus Line, Victory Liner, and Delta Neo Solutions.

Those interested in watching the National Finals can do so via SM Tickets. Make sure to check out the NBTC's Facebook page for updates.

CBS Sports on Jalen Green

Colin Ward-Henninger wrote about Jalen Green for CBS Sports, and they managed to put out a video accompanying the piece.

Green, of course, is the top-ranked CBB from the Batch of 2020, who happens to have just claimed the Most Valuable Player nod for the just concluded FIBA U17 Championships.

Of course, Filipino basketball fans remember his from his NBTC exploits when he played here earlier this year. The video includes footage from the NBTC.