Tigers stage recruiting coup

Pido Jarencio marked his return to University of Santo Tomas with a pair of key acquisitions, making the Growling Tigers a solid force to be reckoned with in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men's basketball tournament.

San Beda University standout Rhayyan Amsali and San Sebastian forward James Una decided to cross over and join the Tigers, who are entering a new era after Jarencio replaced Bal David as head coach early this month.

The 6-foot-4 Amsali posted averages of 5.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15 minutes of action during his last stint with the Red Lions in Season 97 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

He, however, skipped Season 98 to take a sabbatical, leaving the Red Lions falling short of advancing to the best-of-three finals in the country's oldest collegiate league.

The 6-foot-5 Una, meanwhile, normed 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds for San Sebastian College in Season 98 despite missing out on the Final Four.

Both Amsali and Una are set to serve a one-year residency and will be eligible to see action in the next three years starting Season 87 in 2024.

They will join a young UST core bannered by Nic Cabañero, who topped the league in scoring with 17.6 points per game last season.

Jarencio is excited to work with his two new prospects, knowing that Amsali and Una can be a big help in their bid to reclaim the title they last tasted in 2006.

"I know Amsali's game. I'm challenging him to bring out his former form back in high school and help out on the rebuild," Jarencio said.

"James is a hard worker and we expect him to bring that and his bravery here in UST."

Last week, the Tigers secured the commitment of Filipino American guard Chase Lane, who played for the Tarleton State Texans in the 2021-2022 season of the NCAA Division I.

Jarencio said their recruiting coup shows that they are serious in developing a team that has what it takes to bounce back from an ugly 1-13 win-loss record it posted in Season 85 last year.

Aside from Jarencio, also part of the coaching staff are assistant coaches Jaren Jarencio, Japs Cuan and Jeric Fortuna as well as Letran College head coach Bonnie Tan as consultant and team managers Waiyip Chong and Eric Ang.