If any of the names below sound familiar, it’s because they’re descendants of former professional players who made their name on the basketball scene over their weekends.
Jeron and Jeric Teng, DLSU and UST
Jeric, the former UAAP Rookie of the Year, will be playing his fourth season with the UST Growling Tigers. With his ability to handle the ball and shoot from long range, he remains a solid prospect for the pros.
Meanwhile, his younger brother Jeron made headlines last year when he scored 104 points in a high school game against Grace Christian High School in the Tiong Lian Tournament.
Although he had the opportunity to refine his game playing for the RP Youth Team, it remains to be seen if he can continue to become a dominant force in the more competitive UAAP Tournament.
Thirdy and Keifer Ravenna, Athenaeum
Keifer Ravena joined the Ateneo Blue Eagles in 2011 with much fanfare after a dominating high school career where he won multiple scoring titles and championships with the Eaglets.
As a rookie, he was instrumental in helping the Blue Eagles capture their fourth straight UAAP championship and was validated with the Rookie of the Year award. He also played for the Sinag team that won the gold medal at last year’s Southeast Asian Games.
Thirdy, Keifer’s younger brother and the second son of PBA great Bong Ravena, is likely to follow soon.
Thirdy is showing he can keep up with the Ravenas, averaging 10.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in the FilOil preseason tournament as of this writing.
Kobe and André Paras, La Salle Green Hills
Andre and Kobe are currently playing for the LSGH Greenies in the NCAA Juniors Tournament. They are both sons of the great basketball player turned comedian, Benjie Paras.
Andre played a pivotal role in the Greenies’ successful run to the NCAA Junior Finals last season, when they stunned the San Beda Red Lions in Game One of the Best of Three Championship. It was the first loss for the Red Cubs that season after sweeping the knockout round.
Andre scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead 3-point play with 1:04 left. Although the Greenies ultimately fell to the Red Lions, he put Andre on the radar.
Andre, along with his younger brother Kobe, is seeing action in the FilOil preseason tournament and is averaging a team-high 11.3 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. For his part, Kobe, who appeared in two games, is averaging 1.0 points, 0.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
Despite his work as a comedian, basketball remained serious business for Benjie. Known as the Tower of Power and the only Rookie MVP winner in Philippine Basketball Association history, Benjie was one of the most vocal critics of the so-called Fil-Shams’ entry into the PBA in the late 1990s. which fueled his drive to win the MVP award in 1999.
Gwynne and Gabe Capacio, Athenaeum
Gabe Capacio currently plays for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets and is averaging 9.7 points and five rebounds in the FilOil Preseason Tournament as of this writing. Meanwhile, his older brother Gwynne is playing her first year with the Ateneo Blue Eagles after her high school stint with the De La Salle-Zobel Bengals.
Gabe and Gwynne are the children of former FEU head coach Glen Capacio. A very effective role player for Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog during his professional PBA career, Glen led the Tamaraws to a UAAP Finals appearance in 2010.
Aaron Black, Athenaeum
Aaron Black, son of former PBA import and current Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Norman Black, currently plays for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets. As of this writing, Aaron is averaging 6.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a non-starter for the Blue Eaglets in the FilOil preseason tournament.
Norman, who was hired by the Blue Eagles as a team advisor in 2004, has won the last four UAAP championships and will seek his fifth and anticipated final championship as Ateneo head coach before taking over as head coach for the Texters Tropang Talk and Text at the PBA. This kid is definitely getting the training he needs to take his game to the next level.
Bobby Ray Parks Jr., National University
Bobby Ray Parks Jr. was an elite prospect in the United States before packing up and leaving to play for the NU Bulldogs in 2011.
After an impressive performance at the Nike Global Challenge in Hillsboro, Oregon in 2010 (22 ppg on 44.4 percent 3-point shooting) and signing a letter of intent with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, it seemed strange. that Bobby Ray would give up every opportunity. in front of him and dash across the Pacific to play for his mother’s country.
However, that was only half the story. In a story that appeared on CNNSI in April 2011, SI’s Luke Winn wrote that Bobby Ray Jr. was forced to move out of his desire to be with his father, Bobby Sr., who was then battling cancer and working as a director. for the NU Bulldogs. of Sports Development.
Bobby Ray has since won UAAP MVP and represented the country at the Southeast Asian Games as part of the Sinag Basketball Program. He is also considered a member of the Smart-Gilas II program and is a favorite for the PBA.
Bobby Ray is currently averaging 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the 7-0 Bulldogs in the FilOil preseason tournament. The Bulldogs, who will play some of their games at the newly opened SM Arena (technically their home gym) can make a serious run for the UAAP championship this season.
Bobby Sr. is no stranger to basketball in the Philippines. He is one of the most celebrated imports in PBA history, having played for popular teams like San Miguel, Añejo Rhum and Formula Shell.
He was also the second American to be inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame (2009).
Jun, Kevin, Kenneth Alas, Lateran
The Alas family name has joined the Knights of Letran basketball program and it seems the family is determined to maintain their reign.
After patriarch Louie Alas led the Knights to multiple championships (most recently in 2005), his sons Kevin and Jun decided to stick it out with dad.
Kevin has arguably been more successful than his older brother after productive seasons with Cebuana Lhuillier in the PBA D-League, his inclusion in the NCAA Season 87 Legends team, and his highly publicized training with the Los Angeles Slam, a semi-pro team in the American Basketball Association.
Kenneth is the third son of the multi-title coach. He currently plays for the Squires in the Juniors division and is averaging a team-high 19 points per game in the FilOil Preseason Tournament.
Keifer, who is still a little boy, will very likely follow the path that his father and older brothers have taken. He is a staple at Letran games and can be seen doing pregame warmups with the team in his own kid-sized Knights uniform.
He probably won’t see action for the Squires until around 2020.
