Fil-Am Zav Lucero joins Fighting Maroons, training at UP bubble

Zav Lucero, a 6-foot-7 Fil-Am, was coveted by UP, Ateneo, and La Salle earlier than in the end touchdown on his Diliman-based alternative

MANILA, Philippines – Coveted Filipino-American basketball recruit Zavier Lucero has dedicated to the UP Preventing Maroons and is at present coaching with State U’s varsity pool within the UP bubble as they put together for the upcoming UAAP males’s basketball event, program director Bo Perasol confirmed to Rappler on Thursday, February 17.

The 6-foot-7 Lucero, who views himself as an MVP-caliber participant within the UAAP, was coveted by the College of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila College, and De La Salle College earlier than in the end touchdown on his Diliman-based alternative.

“To this point, he has been a workhorse and has been adjusting very well with the staff since he arrived,” mentioned UP coach Goldwin Monteverde of the previous Cal Maritime standout. “He will certainly add ceiling to our staff and is a giant addition to our program.”

“I are available in to go to the staff every now and then,” added Perasol. “All I get are feedbacks from the coaches. He’s adjusting very effectively.”

In an announcement launched by Lucero’s illustration, Fil-Am Nation Choose, it mentioned Lucero turned a Preventing Maroon as a result of it feels “UP is in nice steerage with everybody concerned there they usually positively have expressed a mutual respect in our imaginative and prescient to assist every athlete wishing to pursue a profession within the Philippines.”

The group, which additionally consists of PBA legend Alex Cabagnot, mentioned UP and La Salle have been probably the most persistent recruiters main as much as Lucero’s closing alternative. Ateneo confirmed loads of curiosity early within the course of however in the end bowed out following the Blue Eagles’ profitable recruitment of Kai Ballungay.

Fil-Am Nation Choose mentioned all three universities confirmed “great professionalism.”

“The communication was very open relating to their future plans for his or her packages and the way Zav is a part of it. It actually got here all the way down to the primary assembly with the 2 faculties (UP, La Salle) and in addition the imaginative and prescient for his or her program. [We factored] the recruits coming in and the brand new teaching employees coming in. Zav’s determination was powerful.”

“Whoever will get Zavier will get a game-changer and presumably a future MVP,” Lucero’s coach, Cris Gopez, mentioned when information first obtained out that his ward needed to play within the Philippines again in 2020.

Gopez additionally in contrast the 22-year-old Lucero to former notable UAAP standouts resembling Jamie Orme and Ray Parks Jr., each of whom made the Legendary 5 for his or her respective groups.

In his junior marketing campaign with Cal Maritime, Lucero averaged 19.4 factors, 10.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 33 minutes a sport, displaying abilities each contained in the paint and as a fringe weapon.

Lucero has two years of eligibility within the UAAP.

“I do know UP has the weapons,” he mentioned when Rappler first spoke to him a yr and a half in the past. “They simply have to put all of it collectively and I’m somebody who will help them get again on high.”

Regardless of having his recruitment course of slowed down by the pandemic, Lucero spent loads of time finding out the type of basketball within the Philippine faculty hoops scene.

One facet that instantly caught out to him was the physicality of the sport right here, which varies in comparison with the extra skill-based method of basketball in america.

Lucero additionally beforehand mentioned he was finding out the sport tapes of Dave Ildefonso, Kobe Paras, Thirdy Ravena, and the Gomez de Liaño brothers.

Fil-Am Nation Choose’s success in bringing Lucero to Philippine basketball, particularly to the UP Preventing Maroons, comes not lengthy after it introduced that one other one among their gamers, Henry Galinato Jr., had additionally dedicated to State U.

“UP positively is altering the sport with our assist and the following couple of seasons we hope to assist extra packages on the market,” Fil-Am Nation mentioned in its assertion. – Rappler.com