4 players to look out for in the ongoing BBI Team B tournament

Top left to right: TIP's Bryan Santos and OLFU's VJ Alarcon.
Bottom left to right: MLQU's Sam Peralta and Ateneo's RV Berjay

4 players to look out for in the ongoing BBI Team B tournament

by rick olivares

There is an ongoing tournament at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center inside the Ateneo de Manila University campus in Quezon City. Taking part in the Men’s Under-25 tournament of the sulit.ph BBI Conference 2 are squads from Ateneo, De La Salle University, University of the Philippines, San Sebastian College Recoletos, Manuel L. Quezon University, AMA Computer College, Our Lady of Fatima University, and the Technological Institute of the Philippines.

The tournament is one way of looking at players hoping to crack the UAAP and NCAA line-ups or wanting to be recruited by the big programs (via transfer). We did not include the players who have seen action in the UAAP and the NCAA such as UP’s Ricci Rivero or Will Gozum, San Sebastian’s JM Calma and Alvin Capobres, or Ateneo’s Jawaun White. We are looking at players who haven’t played in the big leagues. 

Here are four players.

RV Berjay, Ateneo Blue Eagles

This 6’4” Filipino-Briton played for Batang Gilas during the 2015 Seaba tourney and suited up for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets in juniors competition. RV recently played in the PCCL title run where he gave a good account of himself. 

He has also been playing well in the sulit.ph BBI tourney posting averages of 15.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game manning the four-spot. 

While playing for the Blue Eaglets in the juniors division, he was mainly an inside player. He’s added an outside shot to his arsenal.

VJ Alarcon, OLFU Phoenix

Homegrown player for Fatima. The 6'1" swingman came up from their high school program and is now torching the NAASCU and BBI nets. Good medium range jumper and can get to the rack if need be. Bull-strong and willing to take the shot.

Currently averaging 12.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. 

Sam Peralta, MLQU Stallions

Peralta, the 6'5" center for the Stallions (that also play in NAASCU), is averaging a league best 18.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.

Bryan Santos, TIP Engineers

This 6’5” forward slides from the three and the four for coach Potit De Vera. His strong play in the Universities and Colleges Basketball League (where he was named Most Valuable Player and earned a spot in the Mythical Five) and the BBI has attracted the attention of a NCAA school that has been pirating Santos. But the kid – with three more years to play for TIP – is staying put. Santos is averaging 16.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in the ongoing BBI tournament.