Kieffer Alas will finally see action for Layton Christian Academy (LCA) as the squad competes in The Border League from 3 to 5 October at the Silverado High School in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Alas’ father, Louie Alas, told DAILY TRIBUNE he isn’t putting pressure on his son as he is playing with a sprained ankle he sustained four weeks ago during training.
LCA will start its campaign facing Redondo High School on 3 October, followed by a game against 5ive Star Hoops on the next day.
The Eagles will finish their campaign against Perry High School on 5 October.
But for Alas, who is also an assistant coach for Tab Baldwin at Ateneo de Manila University, he wants his 18-year-old son to be ready.
“All of his experiences will be used. Hopefully, the outcome will be good. But I told him, it's just the beginning,” Alas said.
“Good thing Kieffer likes to research and he called up his friends, the doctors here and physical therapists. He was able to do his rehab and hopefully, he will be able to adjust to the competition.”
The former University Athletic Association of the Philippines juniors Most Valuable Player prepared hard even before getting into LCA.
The young Alas took part in a training camp in Perth, Australia with National Basketball League 1 side Warwick Senators.
He even had private shooting lessons from Warwick head coach Andrew Cooper and high-performance manager Daniel Vlahov to improve on his accuracy when he goes up against bigger and more athletic players in the United States.
Alas said he has high hopes that Kieffer will be able to mesh well with his new team after months of training.
With the potential of National Basketball Association scouts dropping by to watch the games, Alas told his son to utilize the minutes he is given.
“All of them are adjusting with each other but he told me, they're practicing well. Sometimes twice or thrice a day,” Alas said.
“I told him to make the most out of his playing time whether he comes off the bench or is given only a few minutes to play.”