Gilas Pilipinas Youth guard Kieffer Alas can’t wait to play for new head coach LA Tenorio.
Alas told DAILY TRIBUNE that he is thankful for his time under head coach Josh Reyes and is thrilled to learn from Tenorio, who also plays under current Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone in Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The De La Salle-Zobel star was one of the recipients of the Youth Heroes Award in the 4th Siklab Youth Sports Award last Thursday at the Market! Market! Activity Center for leading Gilas Youth to a fourth-place finish in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Doha last year and making it to the Mythical Team of the Season 86 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) boys’ basketball tournament.
“There’s nothing wrong with Coach LA but I also have to thank Coach Josh for what he did to the Gilas in the past couple of years bringing us to the World Cup,” said Alas, whose father Louie is an assistant coach for Ateneo de Manila University.
“It’s a win-win situation for Coach Josh and Coach LA because they are both good coaches. I’m excited because first of all, I’m a guard also so he (Tenorio) can mentor me on my guard skills and what I need to do in the game so I’m just excited for the opportunity.”
Alas is expected to grow under Tenorio’s guidance in the national team.
The 40-year-old guard was part of the 2012 Gilas squad that won the William Jones Cup and clinched a silver medal when the Philippines hosted the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship.
Tenorio was also part of Letran College’s coaching staff when it won three National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball titles in Seasons 95, 97, and 98.
The Ginebra guard was also in Cone’s think-tank when the Philippines delivered an 80-70 win over Jordan in the gold medal match of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
For now, Alas will focus on leading La Salle-Zobel back to the UAAP Final Four for the first time since 2017.