Ex-NBA player Rasual Butler talks with Y! Philippines Sports blogger Jude Roque (Photo by Jerry Dela Rosa).
During the recent US summer training of the San Beda Red Lions at the Impact Training facility in Los Angeles, I chanced upon former NBA campaigner Rasual Butler. The 2013 NBA Developmental League Impact Player of the Year was training in the same facility under renowned hoops trainer Joe Abunassar, who also supervises the Lions’ training camp.

“I’m hoping to make a comeback in the NBA, that’s why I’m here working hard to be prepared,” said the 33-year old shooting guard who played 10 seasons in the NBA. “My training is going very well. Joe and Gio are doing a great job making sure I’m working hard on things that will make me a better basketball player.”

In 2002, Butler was picked by the Miami Heat in the second round. He suited up for the Heat from 2002 to 2004 before he was traded to New Orleans. He played four years with the Hornets where he posted decent norms of 8.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 25 minutes of play. But it was in the Los Angeles Clippers that he shone brightest in

Sam Ekwe reunites with his former coach Jude Roque, and meets new San Beda recruit from Nigeria Olaide Adeogun. Photo by Jerry Dela Rosa.

The man who changed the college basketball landscape in the Philippines touched base with the team that made him a local icon. Nigerian Samuel Ekwe now lives in Los Angeles and visited the San Beda Red Lions in Reseda during their annual training in the City of Angels two weeks ago.

Ekwe was the first African student-athlete that made a huge impact in college basketball, leading San Beda to the 2006 NCAA crown and ending its 28-year title drought. That year, Sam bagged both MVP and Rookie of the Year honors. Since then, majority of the UAAP and NCAA teams have recruited players from Africa, mostly from Cameroon and Nigeria.

The present-day Red Lions have another Nigerian behemoth, Olaide Adeogun, who will play his sophomore year in the NCAA this season. Sam and Ola met for the first time in Reseda during the former’s visit. But Ekwe has already played with some of the senior players in the team before he graduated like skipper Rome dela Rosa, Kyle Pascual, Michole Sorela and Jaypee

NU's Bobby Ray Parks Jr. (22) tries to go past Arellano's Nard Pinto (R) at the San Juan Arena on May 11, 2013. (Mark Cristino/NPPA Images)

Defending Fil Oil Cup champion National University became the first team to reach the quarterfinals this season, posting a spotless 7-0 card after making mince meat of the dangerous Arellano University Chiefs last Saturday, 86-71.

As expected, the man behind the Bulldogs’ winning run is the incomparable Bobby Ray Parks Jr. After all, he has delivered his team from the brink of disaster twice already in this summer tournament. In their opening game against NCAA king San Beda, Parks sent the game into overtime with a buzzer-beating triple, and completed the kill with crucial baskets in the extra period to upend the Red Lions, 73-71. Five games later, he exploded for 28 markers and broke the 68-all deadlock with a jumper with just 3.2 seconds left to lift NU to a 70-68 overtime victory over the Adamson Falcons.

“I have two guardian angels looking over me,” was Parks reply when asked about playing another inspired season, obviously referring to his late father Bobby Parks Sr., who passed

Andre Paras in his UP debut against San Beda, where his dad is an assistant coach. (George Calvelo/NPPA Images)

In 1986, a towering rookie from San Beda High led the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons to their first and only UAAP men’s basketball title. Now, 27 years later, his son, a high school standout from La Salle Greenhills, hopes to win for UP its second crown.

Andre Paras decided to follow his father Benjie’s footsteps by joining the Maroons despite offers from other top college teams. “I tried out with other schools but felt most welcome and at home in UP,” said the 17-year old Paras who claimed that his decision was not influenced by his parents, who are both UP graduates. He previously joined the training sessions of La Salle, Ateneo and San Beda.

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But a key factor in this decision was Andre’s wish to take up film studies, which UP is undeniably the best in teaching. “I see my dad acting and it somehow got me interested in this field. I’ve also done some TV commercials. Someday, I’d like to be a director or even be in front of the

Chris Newsome wowed the crowd with his high-flying moves (Photo by George P. Calvelo/NPPA Images))

It’s no surprise that Bobby Ray Parks Jr. and Kiefer Ravena played a superb game for their respective squads in the opening of the 2013 FilOil Flying V Premiere Cup at the San Juan Arena yesterday. It’s just another day in the office for these two.

But there are some remarkable performances from the opening day games, mostly coming from new faces in college basketball, which should make 2013 an even more exciting season.

1. National U’s Alfred Aroga

The Bulldogs hardly missed Cameroonian workhorse Emmanuel Mbe as new recruit Alfred Aroga shone in a featured match-up against San Beda’s bull strong center Olaide Adeogun. The 6’7” Aroga was instrumental in NU’s amazing come-from-behind win over the Red Lions in overtime, 73-71, as he collected 16 points, 12 rebounds and 1 block in 28 minutes of play. He even scored over Adeogun in a one-on-one fast-break action with a crossover move and reverse lay-up. Adeogun finished with 14 markers and 10 boards. With Aroga, the Bulldogs have

The UAAP Board hastily passed an amendment to the Soc Rivera rule. (NPPA Images)

(Read Part 1 here)

When word came out that the UAAP Policy Board approved a recommendation to amend the infamous “Soc Rivera” rule, extending the residency period for UAAP high school players transferring to another member school for college from one year to two years, it sent shock waves across the college basketball world in the country.

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For high school players, having to sit out one year of their college basketball stint must feel like a dog being restrained from grabbing a bone that’s just inches away. And now the league requires them to sit out two years if they move to another UAAP team. What’s worse is that even if the player is released by his mother team unconditionally, he won’t escape the two-year residency requirement, unlike before.

A UAAP official also said that the rule is final and it will take effect immediately. This has raised speculations that the sudden change in the rule was hastened to prevent FEU junior

Solid recruitment has laid the foundation for Ateneo's five-peat. (NPPA Images)

Recruitment is everything in college basketball. It’s true all over the globe. Very rarely will you see a poor recruiting team finishing on top at the end of the season. This is why Ateneo has ruled the UAAP in the last five years, and San Beda has dominated the NCAA in six of the last seven seasons. If not for the 2009 defeat to San Sebastian, the Red Lions would have already set a league record seven straight titles by 2012. But the Golden Stags entered 2009 with new recruits Calvin Abueva, Ian Sanggalang and Ronald Pascual, a trio that instantly wreaked havoc across the league in their rookie season to help Baste spoil San Beda’s four-peat aspirations. So again, recruitment did the trick.

This is the reality in modern day college ball.

Almost two decades ago, a film called “Blue Chips” was made to tell the story about college recruitment in basketball in the United States. It starred no less than award-winning actor Nick Nolte, who portrayed a desperate NCAA Division 1 coach named

San Beda celebrates its fourth straight Fr. Martin Cup Collegiate Open title (photo by Ozzy Lavina)San Beda stepped on the gas in the second period and never slowed down since then to hack out an emphatic 64-36 triumph at the expense of the College of St. Benilde for its fourth Fr. Martin Cup Collegiate Open championship in a row yesterday at the Trinity University of Asia gym.

From a tight 9-7 edge at the end of the first quarter, the Red Lions went to their vaunted running game and pressure defense to slowly pull away in the second canto. By halftime, the Bedans were up 26-14.

In the third period, San Beda continued to apply the pressure, forcing the Blazers to commit three consecutive turnovers. The Lions entered the payoff period with a 44-23 advantage and still finished the game strong behind the heads up plays of sensational guard Baser Amer, Arthur Dela Cruz, Ryusei Koga and Rome Dela Rosa. It was then cruise control for the Red Lions in the last seven minutes of play, with the Blazers struggling to solve the unforgiving San Beda defense.

Baser Amer scores with a running jumper in the third quarter (photo by Ozzy Lavina)

With the game already clearly won by