By Yoyo Sarmenta
The spotlight shone brightly on the next generation of basketball stars during the 2019 Chooks-to-Go NBTC League National Finals. For an entire week, the best high school players from across the country, including standouts from international teams, showcased their talent in front of a national audience.
Filipino-American Jalen Green, currently second in the ESPN recruiting rankings for the Class of 2020, was heralded as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. His highlight dunks, acrobatic drives, and vastly improved outside shooting was on full display as the centerpiece of the FilAm Sports USA team. But aside from Green, there are a lot of noteworthy performances. Here are a few players, in no particular order, who stood out in the NBTC National Finals.
Kainoa Ballungay (FilAm Sports USA)
As much as Green was the showstopper of the tourney, Kainoa Ballungay also caught the attention of spectators with his non-stop energy on both ends of the floor. He's a tenacious rebounder and a hard-worker on defense on top of his high-leaping ability. In FilAm Sports' Supreme 16 matchup against the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, the 6-foot-7 center stood toe-to-toe against the 7-foot-2 Kai Sotto. His all-around efforts even got him a call-up in the All-Star game where he posted 16 points and five boards amidst the best high school players in the country.
Even though he's already headed to Cal State Stanislaus, a Division 2 school in the United States, he shared that playing in the Philippines one day remains an option.
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