Fil-Ams Jalen Green, Kihei Clark, and Elijah Jackson talk about their NBTC experience.
by rick olivares
As the FilAm USA team wraps up
its second stint in the SM-NBTC National Finals, its head coach, Bong Ulep and
three of its players took the time to reflect on this unique basketball
journey.
FilAm USA finished this trip with
a 2-1 record as they booked an Elite Eight ticket where they fell to National
University, 98-92.
In that match, 16-year old Jalen
Green scored 51 points, a tournament record. Plus, his high-flying dunks and
athleticism won over the crowd.
“It would have been nice to get
to the next round, but with our seven-man rotation, we couldn’t properly
compete,” explained Ulep. “We need at least a 10-man line-up. If (last year’s
sensation, seven-foot) Kamaka Hepa were here, we would have gone farther.”
Hepa, the Texas-bound
forward-center, broke his nose in a game right before the Manila trip.
“When we come over to Manila, hindi
kami magdadala ng kung sino-sino, we bring kids here who for several reasons.
First, it is to showcase their talent so the Philippines provides an option for
them especially those with no US NCAA Division One offers. If possible, while
chasing their NCAA and NBA dreams, they can also make themselves available for
the Philippine national team; at least those who aren’t playing for the US. And
second, it is to re-connect with their roots. Many of them are third or fourth
generation born in the United States. Their moms never even stepped foot here.
So it’s good to reconnect.”
Speaking of reconnecting, 19-year
old Kihei Clark who hails from Los Angeles and is bound for Atlantic Coast
Conference school, Virginia, says he was aware of his Filipino roots from his
mother’s side. “My mom’s family is from Ilocos but they moved to Hawaii a long
time ago.”
Kihei was named for the town in
Western Hawaii where his parents first met. “Yeah, my name has a nice story to
it and so does my game. My father, Malik Clark, played for Division 2 school,
Hawaii-Hilo, so that is where I got my basketball inspiration,” shared the 5’10
Clark. “But I was excited about coming over.”
Despite his relative small size
for his position, Clark plays much bigger than that. The court general was
pursued by Georgia Tech, Gonzaga, and UCLA. “Going to Virginia, a top-ranked
school, places me one step away from the ultimate dream and that is the NBA,”
said Clark who averaged 14.0 points, 9.5 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals
versus 3.5 turnovers in the SM-NBTC National Finals.
Clark cites Tony Parker, Steve
Nash, and Chris Paul as his influences.
On the other hand, the six-foot-six
crowd-pleasing Jalen Green, who averaged a NBTC-high 33.0 points, 7.0 rebounds,
2.5 steals, and 1.5 assists, points to Kevin Durant as his major inspiration.
“His length, athleticism, his court savvy and he plays both ends of the court,
I’d like to pattern my game after him,” disclosed Green. “When I was a kid, I
played baseball and soccer, but when I started playing basketball, I said, ‘I
could do something with this’ so I started practicing harder. When I told my
parents I want to concentrate on being the best possible basketball player I
can be, they pushed me to get better and perform at a higher level.
Green, who has represented the
United States in an age group that already forbids him from representing the
Philippines, is described by Ulep as someone who keeps his feet firmly on the
ground despite all the accolades and hype even over in the United States.
“It’s very exciting but I block
out all the hype and keep my head tight,” said Green. “Knowing people say good
things, I feel happy but I don’t want it to get to my head.”
“I wanted to win,” added Green of
the loss to NU. “Although we came up short, I am happy about this experience.
And it’s nice to know that I broke the NBTC scoring record. That wasn’t
something I was after because I wanted the W. For me, the biggest thing is there
is someone in the crowd who has never seen my play so I want them to think good
things.”
The third in FilAm Sports’ heralded
trio is 17-year old Elijah Jackson who has committed to Eastern Washington
University. The EWU Eagles play in the Big Sky Conference. “The Eagles were the
first team that recruited me and when I visited, I fell in love with their
program, system, and coaching staff,” said Jackson. “I am very excited about
this opportunity. I just have to keep working every day if I want a chance to
go to the NBA.”
“Manila is always a place I
wanted to go since my family has never been here,” shared Jackson. “I am now
the first in my family to step foot here.”
With regards to his new teammates
in FilAm Sports, Jackson says the whole trip has been a richly rewarding one.
“Because of basketball, I get to travel, meet people, and see the opportunities
in front of me. But for this trip -- these are great dudes,” he said referring
to his teammates. “And it is an honor to play with them as they are going to
good places.”
Collectively, Clark, Green, and
Jackson expressed that the consolation for exiting the NBTC tourney is they
have had a chance to go around town. “The breakfast isn’t so bad,” said Clark.
“I always thought that chicken
adobo was my favorite but I think chicken tocino is right up there now as
well,” summed up Green.
 |
| With Kihei Clark |
 |
| With Jalen Green |
 |
| With Elijah Jackson |
