Letran College is beefing up its roster with fresh young talents as it aims for a four-peat in the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball.
With just months before the start of Season 99, the Knights have secured the commitment of five top high school prospects while a promising guard has also transferred to the Intramuros-based squad.
Jonas Napalang, James Jumao-as, Shad Chang, Paolo Galvez, Ira Mañas and Nathaniel Montecillo have all joined Letran in a bid to extend its dynasty in the oldest collegiate league.
“We are happy with these additions. It’s important that we have these youngbloods to help us contend (in the NCAA),” Letran coach Rensy Bajar, who took over the reins from Bonnie Tan, said.
The Knights will have three additional guards in Napalang, Chang and Galvez.
Napalang is an 18-year-old, 5-foot-11 playmaker coming from the University of the Philippines Integrated School averaging 16.71 points, 4.29 rebounds, 3.14 assists and 1.29 steals.
The Knights will have three additional guards in Napalang, Chang and Galvez.
Chang, also 18, is a 5-foot-11 guard from La Salle Zobel netting 3.93 points, 2.5 assists and 1.43 rebounds.
On the other hand, Galvez, 20, is a 5-foot-10 guard from St. Jerome School of Novaliches who led GameChanger Novaliches to the National Capital Region Division Finals of the Ballout Founder’s Cup.
The Knights will also have a versatile six-foot winger in Jumao-as, who was a major contributor for University of Santo Tomas in University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 85, averaging 13.18 points, 4.09 boards, 1.91 assists, and 1.09 steals.
Mañas, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-3 forward who played for Homegrown Australia in the 2023 Smart-NBTC National Finals, collecting 9.8 points, 4.8 boards, and 1.0 steal en route to a Division two semifinals appearance.
The 5-foot-10 Montecillo, on the other hand, wallowed in De La Salle University’s Team B, averaging 3.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in last year’s Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup.
The Cebuano hotshot, however, will only be eligible to play for the Knights in NCAA Season 100 with five years of eligibility.
Letran will still have veterans Kurt Reyson, Paolo Javillonar, and Kobe Monje leading the charge.
