MANILA – Capiznon big men Sydrick Francisco Babela and Ryan James Corpuz are set to take their acts in Manila as part of defending NCAA juniors basketball champions Mapua Red Robins.
Babela and Corpuz, both former standouts of Saint Mary’s of Capiz, caught the eye of Red Robins coaching staff after seeing them play at the Wilson 3×3 basketball national finals earlier this month.
“Matagal ko na silang ni-recommend sa Mapua but they only saw them play recently,” said Saint Mary’s head coach Michael Abad. “They are talented and very coachable so I expect them to quickly adapt to Mapua’s system.”
Tobee Diaz de Leon of Capiz-based Kabataan Basketball Clinic, for her part, said she was proud of the development of Babela and Corpuz after honing their skills from scratch when they came over to Saint Mary’s a few years ago.
“I am proud of them realizing their dream of playing in Manila. When I first brought them to Saint Mary’s, they were still diamonds in a rough. I and my husband Michael slowly developed them sa kung ano man sila ngayon,” De Leon said.
At the Red Robins, Babela and Corpuz will join fellow Western Visayas-based player in Ilonggo Ruben Mardoquio, who was brought in to Mapua by Abad and De Leon last year./PN
