Cagulangan turns pro, joins Korean club

First it was Kevin Quiambao, now it’s JD Cagulangan.

Cagulangan will be bringing his talent to South Korea following a stellar stint with University of the Philippines (UP) in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

The 24-year-old Cagulangan formally signed with the Suwon KT Sonicboom in the Korean Basketball League (KBL), following the step taken by Quiambao, who is set to play for the Goyang Sono SkyGunners shortly after failing to lead De La Salle University to Season 87 men’s basketball title.

Reports have it that Cagulangan formally inked his Korean deal on Monday afternoon, barely a few hours before the Fighting Maroons were feted in a bonfire celebration at the Sunken Garden inside the UP campus.

Cagulangan is definitely a prized catch for the Sonicboom, who are currently in fourth place in the KBL team standings with a 10-8 win-loss record. They are also competing in the East Asia Super League, where they fashion a 2-2 mark in Group A together with Taoyuan Pauian, Hiroshima, San Miguel and Hong Kong Eastern.

Prior to leading the Fighting Maroons to their third UAAP crown last Sunday, the 5-foot-7 playmaker averaged 11.8 points, 5.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game in the elimination round to earn a spot in the Mythical Team.

Then, he boosted his performance in the finals, where he posted averages of 13.66 points, 4.33 rebounds, and 4.66 assists to emerge as Most Valuable Player, a performance that was punctuated by a 66-62 win over the Green Archers in Game 3 of their best-of-three finals duel last Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Cagulangan also saw international action as he suited up for Strong Group Athletics (SGA) in the Dubai International Basketball Championship.

With SGA, he was able to team up with some former National Basketball Association players like Dwight Howard and Andre Roberson as well as other young guns in Quiambao and Justin Baltazar.