If any of the names below sound familiar, it’s because they are descendants of former professional players who became famous on the basketball scene during their weekends.
Jeron and Jeric Teng, DLSU and UST
Jeric, the former UAAP Rookie of the Year, will play his fourth season with the UST Growling Tigers. With his ability to handle the ball and shoot from long range, he remains a solid prospect for the pros.
Meanwhile, his younger brother Jeron made headlines last year when he scored 104 points in a high school game against Grace Christian High School in the Tiong Lian Tournament.
Although he had the opportunity to refine his game playing for the RP Youth Team, it remains to be seen if he can continue to become a dominant force in the most competitive UAAP Tournament.
Thirdy and Keifer Ravenna, Ateneo
Keifer Ravena joined the Ateneo Blue Eagles in 2011 to much fanfare after a dominant high school career where he won multiple scoring titles and championships with the Eaglets.
As a rookie, he was instrumental in helping the Blue Eagles capture their fourth consecutive UAAP championship and was validated with the Rookie of the Year award. He also played for the Sinag team that won the gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games last year.
Thirdy, Keifer’s younger brother and second son of PBA great Bong Ravena, will very likely follow soon.
Thirdy is showing he can keep up with the Ravenas, averaging 10.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in the FilOil preseason tournament as of this writing.
Kobe and Andre Paras, La Salle Green Hills
Andre and Kobe are currently playing for the LSGH Greenies in the NCAA Juniors Tournament. They are both sons of basketball great turned comedian, Benjie Paras.
Andre played a pivotal role in the Greenies’ successful run to the NCAA Junior Finals last season, when they upset the San Beda Red Lions in Game One of the Best of Three Championship. It was the Red Cubs’ first loss that season after sweeping the knockout round.
Andre scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead three-point play with 1:04 left. Though the Greenies ultimately succumbed to the Red Lions, he put Andre on the radar.
Andre, along with his younger brother Kobe, is seeing action in the FilOil preseason tournament and is averaging a team-high 11.3 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. For his part, Kobe, who appeared in two games, is averaging 1.0 points, 0.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
Despite his work as a comedian, basketball remained serious business for Benjie. Known as the Tower of Power and the only Rookie MVP winner in Philippine Basketball Association history, Benjie was one of the most vocal critics of the Fil-Shams’ entry into the PBA in the late 1990s, which fueled his drive to win the MVP award in 1999.
Gwynne and Gabe Capacio, Athenaeus
Gabe Capacio currently plays for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets and is averaging 9.7 points and five rebounds in the FilOil Preseason Tournament at the time of this writing. Meanwhile, his older brother Gwynne is playing her freshman year with the Ateneo Blue Eagles after her high school stint with the De La Salle-Zobel Bengals.
Gabe and Gwynne are the children of former FEU head coach Glen Capacio. A highly effective role player for Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog during his professional PBA career, Glen led the Tamaraws to a UAAP Finals appearance in 2010.
Aaron Black, Athenaeus
Aaron Black, son of former PBA import and current Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Norman Black, currently plays for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets. As of this writing, Aaron is averaging 6.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a non-starter for the Blue Eaglets in the FilOil preseason tournament.
Norman, who was hired by the Águilas Azules as a team adviser in 2004, has won the last four UAAP championships and will seek his fifth and likely final championship as head coach of the Ateneo before taking over as head coach for the Texters Tropang Talk and Text at the PBA. This kid is definitely getting the training he needs to take his game to the next level.
Bobby Ray Parks Jr., National University
Bobby Ray Parks Jr. was an elite prospect in the United States before packing up and leaving to play for the NU Bulldogs in 2011.
After an impressive performance at the Nike Global Challenge in Hillsboro, Oregon in 2010 (22 points per game on 44.4 percent shooting from 3 points) and signing a letter of intent with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, it seemed strange that Bobby Ray gave up all opportunities. in front of him and dash across the Pacific to play for his mother’s country.
However, that was only half the story. In a story that appeared on CNNSI in April 2011, SI’s Luke Winn wrote that Bobby Ray Jr. was forced to move because of his desire to be with his father, Bobby Sr., who was then battling cancer and working as a director. for the NU Bulldogs. Sports Development.
Since then, Bobby Ray has won the UAAP MVP and represented the country at the Southeast Asian Games as part of the Sinag Basketball Program. He is also considered a member of the Smart-Gilas II program and is a favorite for the PBA.
Bobby Ray is currently averaging 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the 7-0 Bulldogs in the FilOil preseason tournament. The Bulldogs, who will play some of their games at the newly opened SM Arena (technically their local gym), can make a serious run for the UAAP championship this season.
Bobby Sr. is no stranger to basketball in the Philippines. He is one of the most celebrated imports in PBA history, having played for popular teams like San Miguel, Añejo Rhum and Formula Shell.
He was also the second American to be inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame (2009).
Jun, Kevin, Kenneth Alas, Letrán
The Alas family name has joined the Knights of Letters basketball program and it seems the family is determined to keep their reign.
After patriarch Louie Alas led the Knights to multiple championships (most recently in 2005), his sons Kevin and Jun decided to stick it out with dad.
Kevin has arguably had more success than his older brother after productive seasons with Cebuana Lhuillier in the PBA D-League, his inclusion on the legendary NCAA Season 87 team, and his much-hyped training with the Los Angeles Slam, a semi-professional team in the American Basketball Association.
Kenneth is the third son of the multi-title trainer. He currently plays for the Squires in the Juniors division and is averaging a team-high 19 points per game in the FilOil Pre-Season Tournament.
It is very likely that Keifer, who is still a little boy, will follow the path that his father and older brothers have taken. He is a staple at Letran games and can be seen doing pre-game warm-ups with the team in his own child-sized Knights uniform.
You probably won’t see action for the Squires until around 2020.