Making it to the Division I of the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) remains the ultimate goal as Kieffer Alas continues her high school career at Utah Prep.
In a social media post, the 18-year-old Alas stressed that playing for Utah Prep helped him sharpen his game that boosts his dream of becoming the next Filipino to see action in the most prestigious collegiate circuit in the United States.
Alas, the reigning boys’ basketball Most Valuable Player in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, is coming off an impressive debut for Utah Prep, where he erupted for 34 points with 10 three-pointers in the Premier Prep Phoenix Open tournament.
His coach, former TNT Tropang 5G mentor Mark Dickel, had shown a lot of confidence in him, giving Alas a good chance of cracking into the recruitment program of some of the most prestigious schools in the NCAA.
“Staying here at Utah Prep was one of the biggest blessings I’ve had this year. I mean, it’s been great, but earlier this year I had a lot of setbacks,” Alas said.
“But coming here, you get more opportunities. You face Top 50 players almost every day, so that’s just going to be a big help wherever I go, whether it be in the Philippines or continuing my road here.”
Back at home, three schools — University of the Philippines, De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University — are reportedly eyeing his services.
Both the Fighting Maroons and the Green Archers are reportedly very serious to recruit him while the Blue Eagles are said to have an inside track as his father, prominent mentor Louie Alas, is part of Tab Baldwin’s coaching staff.
Still, Alas said he wants to explore his options overseas before thinking of going back to the UAAP.
“A lot of Filipinos don’t go to America. Most of them just stay home because, I don’t know, the fear of going to another country is pretty big, so that’s why I think they just stay home. If the opportunity is there, you have to take it,” Alas, a former De La Salle Zobel superstar, said.
“I mean, that was the main reason why I went here, just mainly because of the thought that there would be a 0 percent chance of making it to Division I if I don’t go here. But at least if I come here, I will give myself the opportunity to show myself in front of these coaches, so just take the risk.”
Alas said he is determined to make an impact in the US varsity circuit.
In fact, he was supposed to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024 but opted to skip it to play for Gilas Pilipinas Youth in the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Turkey.
Unfortunately, a knee injury denied him a chance to suit up for Gilas in the World Cup, fueling his hunger to make it big overseas.
But should Alas land a spot on a Division I team, he will join the likes of Japeth Aguilar (Western Kentucky), Gabe Norwood (George Mason University), Dwight Ramos (Cal State Fullerton) and Kobe Paras (Creighton) in the elite list of Filipinos to see action in the highest tier of collegiate basketball in the United States.