Batch of 2010: Freshie scouting report

Was your team in the wrong end of a 5-game losing streak? Are you too bored seeing your team go from "cheated from the championship" to "crappy we can't even beat NU"? Well, wait no more, here are your top 10 high school players that should be in the wishlists of all collegiate coaches once the season is over. Not all players are graduating (in high school), though. Well, most are.

#10: Glenn Khobuntin (Letran)
Recruited by Aaron Aban, Glenn Khobuntin is the leading rebounder in the NCAA, grabbing 13.7 boards a game. With bridesmaid finishes the past few years, the Squires have a legit chance of winning the title last won by the likes of Jay-R Reyes, PJ Walsham, OJ Cua and former Knight Kojack Melegrito and friends.

#9: Nico Elorde (DLSZ)
Just like their seniors counterparts in the past, Zobel is not anchored on just one guy, but Nico Elorde has emerged as DLSZ's #2 guy, and he even had the privilege of guarding our #1 player in practice for two years already, and they're not even teammates.

#8: Jerome Delgado (San Sebastian)
With Eric Salamat, Ryan Buenafe and Arvie Bringas gone, the Stags have to rely on Jerome Delgado to keep them in the hunt for juniors championship contention. Delgado has emerged as a potent shooter, with 32% three point percentage, 70% free throw percentage, and an overall field goal percentage of 55.4%

#7: Gwayne Capacio (DLSZ)
Gwayne is coach Glen Capacio's son, and it shows in the genes as he has emerged as the leader of that team from Alabang wound up second place in the recently conclude UAAP tourney. If it weren't for him sinking in those insurance baskets, the Junior Archers would've lost Game 2 and the championship right there, but... wait, we'd have to reserve that for our #1 player.

#6: Amer Baser (San Beda)
The vaunted San Beda Red Cubs program is nearing an end of an era: Coach Ato Badolato is in final year, and he wants to go out in style, by leading the Red Cubs to #1 seed, that is if they can beat the Staglets on Monday, and beat the Squires in the playoff. Anchoring the Red Cubs is Amer Baser, far and away the #1 passer in the NCAA with 8.6 dimes per game. Not only Baser is an adept passer, he can score too, scoring 23 points in San Beda's upset against the then 17-0 Squires, and is an able defender, with a league-best 4.3 steals per game.

#5: Terrence Romeo (FEU-FERN)
So the next three names came in here solely because of stat padding, but still, this former Letran Squire scored 83 points in a basketball game. In any level that is no easy feat. Even if it was against a team with a 0-8 record prior to the game and wounded up 0-14 at the end of the season. Heck, Kobe did worse against the Raptors.

#4: Joshua Saret (JRU)
If you thought 83 points vs. a 0-14 team was bad, how about 89 points in a team that went 0-18 at the end, and perhaps no player from the roster would make it to the big leagues when they all grow up? But still, Saret scored 21 points against the #3 team San Sebastian, and they doubled him everytime he touched the ball. Still not an easy feat.

#3: Keith Agovida (JRU)
You gotta blame this guy for starting this point-padding issue, since he started it first last year when he scored 82 points in a game against then debuting Malayan Red Robins who had a 0-5 record prior to the game, and ended up with a 0-12 record. He used up his high school eligibility last year, and will graduate this year, so this guy must get in shape before scouts find him... er, he probably has a choice college now. I heard it's not the school from Kalentong, but he can still change his mind...

#2: Jarelan Tampus (Letran)
He was originally my #1 "pick" and he probably might be the #1 pick when October is over, but with all of the hype from the windy place they call Loyola Heights, I gotta slide him down to #2. But his stats of 26.2 points per game (3rd in NCAA), 4.8 assists (6th) and 2.4 steals (6th) is good enough for #2. All-around inside player with a .563 field goal percentage, but he has to work on shooting free-throws since he has a not-so-respectable 68.5% clip. Last time I heard, Tampus is on his way out of Muralla, but that's what I heard and it's not yet confirmed on what team he'd go to next season.

#1: Kiefer Ravena (Ateneo)
The Ateneo hype machine has again produced a juniors player that will piss off Joshua Webb he'll be in a kicking rampage all across Malate. Kiefer Ravena has emerged as the high school player every wants to get but they can't since he'll stay at the loving arms of MVP. Despite a woeful Game 2 performance scoring only 6 points, and causing the turnover that led to La Salle tying the series, and a scoreless first half in Game 3 (he finished the game with 7 points), Game 1 was nothing short of jaw-dropping: 33 points (which was not his career high), which caused him to be named Finals MVP.

Addendum: Poll results for "Which collegiate team should be the elimination round's #1 team?"

• Ateneo = 43%
• UE = 20%
• San Sebastian = 13%
• Other NCAA team = 8%
• FEU = 7%
• San Beda = 5%
• Other UAAP team = 4%
• NAASCU/CUSA/NCRAA/UCAA team = 0%

Thank you for voting!