Uniting USC north and south a good move

THE SMALL Basketeers of the Philippines (SBP) program of the University of San Carlos (USC) is finally seeing the advantages of a united team  as it gained the right to represent Cebu in the national finals of the Milo-backed BEST Twin Tournament on Dec. 1 and 2 in Roxas City.

For years, USC’s grassroots basketball program has been divided between the two campuses, namely, the North and South. But this year’s integration of the two teams has paid dividends, resulting in USC’s first Visayas crown in recent memory, en route to earning a shot at the national crown USC South once held in 2002.

“It’s really great na nagkahiusa na sa usa ka team ang North and South campuses. Especially for us coaches, we have a lot more players to choose from and we ended up picking up the best talent for this team,” said head coach Vernini Tangarorang, a former star of the school’s collegiate squad.

However, USC’s national title hopes hinge largely on the participation of star Jholo Pakanna, who was sidelined during the Visayas regional finals because of a fractured arm.

“They’re still seeing the doctor and we’ll have to wait and see what he has to say about that. The decision of whether or not the boy will play will be made by his parents,” added Tangarorang.

USC has an uphill battle to climb as they take on Mindanao champions, Ateneo de Davao, Luzon rulers Don Bosco Pampanga and NCR titlists the mighty La Salle Greenhills.

Still, USC boasts of a formidable roster composed of Davin Arquillano, John Berdin, Joshua Canoy, Neon Chavez, Michael Cutamora, Zurich Enriquez, Vince Galan, Carl Jovellanos, Brandon Largo, Clint Octaviano, Daniel Rodriguez, Daniel Santos and Kadshein Tagalog. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio