ACE UP HIS SLEEVE: Young Alas set to sharpen skills in Utah
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If everything falls into place, Kieffer Alas might end up shooting for Layton Christian Academy (LCA) in Utah, the fast-rising Filipino basketball prospect’s father told DAILY TRIBUNE.
Louie Alas said he and the school’s head coach Casey Stanley have already mutually agreed on the 17-year-old phenom’s stint with the school.
To prepare for his LCA stint, Alas, a former Gilas Pilipinas youth standout will leave for Australia this weekend for a training camp with National Basketball League 1 (NBL1) West side Warwick Senators in Perth.
“First of all, Kiefer really showed interest. Other schools did the same but the coach was talking to Kieffer and the school has a good record,” the elder Alas said in a telephone conversation
Stanley is expected to accelerate Alas’ growth while playing in Utah.
For one, Stanley led the Eagles to the Utah State Basketball Championship in the 2023-2024 season after a hard-earned 58-53 victory over Cottonwood in the final.
Stanley also boasts 15 years of experience working as an assistant coach in the US National Collegiate Athletic Association, having shared his expertise to Arkansas State University, Iona University, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Florida International University.
LCA is also ranked at No. 52 in the Top 100 high school basketball programs in the United States, a first for the school, something that could help Alas’ target of playing collegiate ball in America.
Alas is about to follow the steps taken by Andy Gemao, who competed for Veritas Academy Prep in California last year and is currently enrolled at Royal Crown School in Canada.
With that, he will be leaving De La Salle Zobel, which failed to enter the Final Four of Season 87 University Athletic Association juniors basketball tournament.
To make sure that Alas will be ready for his stint in an American high school, his father said he will be joining the Senators’ training for around a month.
“Kieffer will be training in Warwick for three to four weeks. He will keep up with the team’s training and we already talked about what will happen during that time,” the elder Alas said.
“There is a big Filipino community there. Some of the members of the national women’s basketball team played in NBL1.”
Alas will be training under the watchful eye of Warwick head coach Andrew Cooper.
