(Photo Credit: SPIN.ph) I remember receiving a phone call last year around May, with a source telling me that Will Gozum was included in San Beda's line-up for Adidas Uprising. Obviously, I was surprised at what I had just heard. It wasn't because Gozum was likely going to be a Red Cub come the NCAA season. I put down that phone call astonished because of the very fact that the former Batang Gilas standout was going to transfer out of the UP Junior Maroons. The very concept of transferring schools is something that is frowned upon in the basketball community. Carlo Pamintuan wrote this terrific piece on Soc Rivera a few years back, detailing what Rivera had to go through after countless transfers to schools. Not only did the public look at Rivera with judging eyes, but his overall performance as a player suffered as well. You don't just become a player who is given raised eyebrows by fans when you decide to transfer. A player puts himself in the risk of losing ...

The SLAM Rising Stars Classic has long served as a breeding ground for some of the future stars of College Basketball. College mainstays such as Green Archer Aljun Melecio, Blue Eagle Thirdy Ravena and FEU Tamaraw Hubert Cani. These players were already sought after even before the Rising Stars Classic, but playing well in the game simply solidified their status as among the very best in High School hoops. (Photo Credit: Jaime Campos, Spin.PH) The same could be said for this year's iteration of the Rising Stars Classic, as UAAP Juniors MVP Juan Gomez de Liano was able to solidify his status as one of the best High School players in the country after his MVP performance in the game. However, it wasn't just Juan who was able to put on a show. Here are some of the other names who impressed in the Rising Stars Classic: Juan Gomez de Liano Of course, we have to talk about the Juan (*gets tackled*) who was crowned with the MVP plum during the all star game. That's ...