(Photo Credit: FIBA) The Gilas Pilipinas team for the 3x3 2017 World Cup kicked off action yesterday in Nantes, France, ending the day with a split. They managed to surprise a Romanian team that was favored by many, but was humbled by the hometown team.  For Pinoys, the results don't matter as much. What matters is getting to see players like Kiefer Ravena and Jeron Teng play with each other, as evidenced by the amount of support both players got from fans online. But neither of them shined as the best player for the Gilas Pilipinas. That title goes to the youngest player in the whole tournament, the one and only Kobe Paras. To be frank, expectations for Kobe were low entering this tournament for a number of experts. Some have called him overrated *looks at a mirror* and some have gone as far as to call him a bust. But as evidenced by how he performed for the first two games of the 3x3 tournament, we may have to rethink those labels *looks at a mirror once again*.  ...

Welcome to the Class of 2017 Scouting Reports and Rankings. This part of the site provides to you the rankings of the recruits who are part of the aforementioned class, some details regarding them, and most importantly, the school which they have committed to play for in college. Linked to the name of each player is the scouting report that has been written about them in this website. For those without any links just yet, their scouting reports are on the way. (Photo Credit: The Philippine Star) With that, I present to you the rankings for the Class of 2017. Ranking Name Position Played Height School/Team Committed To 1 Juan Gomez de Liano PG/SG 6’3” UP Fighting Maroons 2 John Lloyd Clemente SG/SF 6’3” NU Bulldogs 3 Troy Mallillin SF/PF 6’3” None (Choosing between NU, UST and Ateneo) 4 Jonas Tibayan PF 6’3” NU Bulldogs 5 Guilmer...

(Photo Credit: SLAM Philippines) Basic Information Name: Carlo Abadeza Age: 20 School/Team: Arellano Braves Years of eligibility left: 0 (Graduating)  Committed to: San Beda Red Lions Height: 6'4" Position: Power Forward/Center Projected Position: Combo Forward Quick Hits Strengths: - Skillset and height have a good match well with each other for the college game - Offensively skilled already - Has range for a big his size - Post defense is elite - Has a ton of experience Weaknesses: - Slow foot speed makes the transition to becoming a small forward difficult - Has weight issues - Needs to tighten his handle for penetration to be better - Lack of speed is an issue Going up and down is nothing new for future San Beda Red Lion Carlo Abadeza. Back then, he was just a player in the Passarelle leagues with the La Salle Greenhills, Eventually, he made it to the NCAA roster, and consequently, the Batang Gilas U16 team that made it to the FIBA World Champions...

(Photo Credit: SLAM Philippines) Basic Information Name: Guilmer Dela Torre Age: 19 School/Team: Arellano Braves Years of eligibility left: 0 (Graduating)  Committed to: Arellano Chiefs  Height: 5'8" Position: Combo Guard Projected Position: Point Guard  Quick Hits Strengths: - Speed is fit for the college game - Has range - Is skillful - Already a capable two-way player - Hard worker Weaknesses: - Size limits his upside - More of a points guard rather than a point guard at this stage of his career - Shooting form needs work, current one may not work well against bigger, faster defenders - Needs to be a better leader No doubt about it, Guilmer Dela Torre has cemented his status as one of the top High School prospects in recent memory. Multiple Mythical Five accolades, practically a lock in the High School All-Star games which SLAM and the NBTC hold. He was able to do all of that with a fiery offensive game, with incredible range. There's no doubt...

(Photo Credit: SLAM Philippines) Basic Information Name: Troy Mallillin Age: 18 School/Team: LSGH Greenies Years of eligibility left: 0 (Graduating)  Committed to: None (Choosing between UST, NU, Ateneo) Height: 6'3" Position: Combo Forward Projected Position: Small Forward/Shooting Guard/Point Forward Quick Hits Strengths: - Strong, college-ready body - Athleticism is off the charts - Speed is already fit for his ideal position - Versatile thanks to blend of size, athleticism, and skill - Very high upside Weaknesses: - Relatively raw - Has to work on his jump shot - Handle needs improving but is workable - Effort on defense is inconsistent Troy is best known as the NCAA MVP, but receiving the title of MVP is a tricky thing. Just because you were the MVP in the High School division doesn't mean that you'll be able to replicate those feats on the collegiate level. Former NCAA Juniors MVP Prince Rivero is undersized compared to other college big...

With Andray Blatche not getting younger and our FIBA continental zone adding Australia and New Zealand to the mix, the need for a new naturalized player for Gilas has began. Current PBA import Alex Stepheson has been thrown into the mix as someone who coul serve as a candidate, while dream candidates such as Javale McGee, Robin Lopez and even San Antonio Spurs center Dewayne Dedmon have also been mentioned. Of course, Jordan Clarkson will forever be in discussions. Sadly, those players are just pipedreams at this point. They're either bad fits, or they're just unattainable because of the insane asking price that they present. If there's a realistic option that we have in finding a decent naturalized player, we may have that in current Blackwater Elite import Greg Smith. (Photo Credit: SPIN.ph) Chatter regarding having Smith as a naturalized player began when he was found practicing with the Gilas Pilipinas team in the Meralco Gym last April 20. When asked by a gr...

(Photo Credit: FIBA) Basic Information Name: Jonas Tibayan Age: 18 School/Team: CKSC Blue Dragons Years of eligibility left: 0 (Graduating)  Committed to: NU Bulldogs Height: 6'3" Position: Power Forward Projected Position: Combo Forward Quick Hits Strengths: - Strong body - High Basketball IQ - Very coachable - Is a great team player Weaknesses: - Limited upside - Still relatively raw - No clear position yet in collegiate basketball Only a select few people are given the opportunity to play for the National Youth Team. It's a honor anyone would grab in an instant. To be named a Batang Gilas standout is something special. But to be named a Gilas Cadet member at the tender age of 17? It's something else. At first glance, it means that you're a player who's more than ready to make it to the big leagues. You're not just expected to do well in the collegiate level. Some expect you to go ahead and dominate in an instant. Jonas Tibayan...

(Photo Credit: SLAM Philippines) Basic Information Name: Unique Naboa Age: 18 School/Team: LSGH Greenies Years of eligibility left: 0 (Graduating)  Committed to: CSB Blazers Height: 5'8" Position: Point Guard Projected Position: Point Guard Quick Hits Strengths: - Strong body - Crafty with the basketball - Has great control for a Point Guard his age - High basketball IQ Weaknesses: - Height and lack of length - Lacks athleticism - Inconsistent outside shooting - Very limited upside Prince Rivero. Kobe Paras. Ricci Rivero. JBoy Gob. Those names are among the very best La Salle Greenhills standouts in recent memory. Prince and JBoy were both dominant bigs who were either too strong or too polished for High School big man to handle, while Kobe and Ricci were athletic freaks who jumped out of the gym. Unique Naboa doesn't fit any of those categories. He has a strong body, but he's by no means the physical freak that Prince was, nor the athlet...

(Photo Credit: KC Cruz) Basic Information Name: John Lloyd Clemente Age: 18 School/Team: NU Bullpups Years of eligibility left: 0 (Graduating)  Committed to: NU Bulldogs  Height: 6'3" Position: Small Forward Projected Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward  Quick Hits Strengths: - Capable shooter from outside - Great at moving without the ball - Great size for a collegiate wing - Perfect example of a team player - High basketball IQ Weaknesses: - One on one defense needs work - Isn't able to completely use his athleticism - Needs to work on dribbling It's easy to brand a player as college-ready. It can be because he's physically superior compared to his peers. It can also mean that he was able to put up statistics which are incredibly impressive for someone his age. Or, it can be as simple as receiving a number of accolades. John Lloyd Clemente doesn't exactly fit the bill as any of those. He isn't physically superior by any m...