Carl Tamayo joins Ryukyu Golden Kings

Carl Tamayo signed a three-year deal with the Ryukyu Golden Kings, formally making him the latest Filipino to play in the Japanese B. League.

The Golden Kings made an announcement on Wednesday, saying that Tamayo will be their Asian import after they let go Philippine Basketball Association veteran Jay Washington last month.

Tamayo could be the reinforcement the Golden Kings need to win the B. League title and compete against the likes San Miguel Beer, Bay Area Dragons and Seoul SK Knights in the group stage of the East Asia Super League on 1 March.

In fact, the 21-year-old forward is regarded as one of the country's rising stars after leading Nazareth School of National University to two University Athletic Association of the Philippines high school basketball tournament titles.

He joined University of the Philippines in 2020 and made an impact as he played a crucial role in its title run in Season 84 before pushing a rock-solid Ateneo de Manila University to the limit in the finals series of Season 85 last December.

He posted averages of 13.08 points and 7.36 rebounds in 36 games while donning the Maroons' jersey, enough to land in the UAAP Mythical Team in both Seasons 84 and 85.

Tamayo is also very familiar with the international brand of play as he was part of Gilas Pilipinas that competed in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, where he posted averages of 8.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 11 appearances.

The sweet-shooting forward from Cebu will join Ryukyu that is considered as a top-tier in the B. League with current record of 21-7.

Aside from Tamayo, the Golden Kings will also bank on Jack Cooley, Keita Imamura, Josh Duncan, Ryuchi Kishimoto and former PBA import Allen Durham.