UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas continued its frenzied off-season moves by securing Gilas Youth big man Zain Mahmood to bolster the Growling Tigers frontline.

Coach Pido Jarencio welcomed the Fil-Canadian slotman to España as they caught a big fish ahead of this year’s UAAP men’s basketball wars.

“Hindi lang malaki si Mahmood, skilled din siya kaya napakalaking addition niya para sa program natin,” said Jarencio.

Together with Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) director Fr. Rodel Cansancio, OP, and team manager Eric Ang, Jarencio met their new recruit yesterday.

“Alam naman natin na yung malalaki ang kulang sa atin last season, so maganda ang nakikita nating future para sa batang ito,” Jarencio said.

Mahmood, is a 6-foot-7 big man out of Maranatha High School in California who showed his wares for the national youth team in the 2022 Fiba Asia U-18 Championship in Qatar, averaging 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in 24 minutes of action.

The 19-year-old center also strut his stuff for Fil-Nation Select in last year’s NBTC National Finals last year.

Also adding ceiling to UST is unheralded big man Brix Verzosa.

Personally recruited by coach Manu Iñigo during the pandemic, Verzosa is a 6-foot-10 center who logged 3.1 points and 4.6 rebounds for the Tiger Cubs in the recently-concluded high school boys basketball tournament.

“Ito ang mga kailangan ng programa natin dahil alam niyo naman gaano tayo kahirap sa loob last season. Umaasa tayong made-develop pa natin itong mga malalaking batang ito,” said Jarencio.

The two young studs join the Growling Tigers’ frontline which includes Christian Manaytay, Migs Pangilinan, Echo Laure, and Gelo Crisostomo.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Theodore P. Jurado