Former University of the Visayas star Greg Slaughter’s stint with three-time defending champions, Ateneo Blue Eagles in the upcoming UAAP season remains uncertain.
This after some quarters questioned the 7-footer’s eligibility after he suited up for Smart Gilas while serving his residency at Ateneo at the same time. Slaughter, a former two-time MVP of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI), heads a stellar recruiting class by the Eagles, one that also features phenom Kiefer Ravena.
The dynamic duo helped the Eagles claim the championship in the recent Fil-Oil Flying V Preseason Tournament but the combination might not see the court in the UAAP after Slaughter’s eligibility was scrutinized alongside Bobby Ray Park’s of the National University Bulldogs.
The big man, though, remains optimistic and downplayed the reports. “I should be able to play but who knows what can happen. I brought it up with Ateneo a while ago and they assured me that it was okay. I don’t know how some other schools are going to try and argue I can’t play because I was serving our country by playing on the national team,” Slaughter said in an interview.
The UAAP opens on July 10 at the Araneta Coliseum with a double-header featuring the Far Eastern University Tamaraws and the La Salle Green Archers in a game slated for 1 pm. This will be followed by a skirmish featuring the Blue Eagles and the Adamson Soaring Falcons. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio