Best youth cagers being assembled for ’05 MBT

Veteran coaches Rufino Aguon and Elias Rangamar are working on assembling two teams that will spearhead Saipan’s push in the Micronesian Basketball Tournament later this year.

The tournament, which will be hosted by Saipan from Nov. 20 to 26, will feature men’s and women’s teams from Guam, Saipan, Palau, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and Kosrae. Players competing in the tournament must be under the age of 21.

According to Rangamar, one team will comprise of players who are currently competing in the Saipan Rotary Club Summer Youth Basketball League. The team, which will be known as the Rotary Selection All-Stars, will be coached by Joe Diaz, who coaches four teams in the ongoing league.

Diaz will be assisted by Southern Sonics coach Jesse Tudela and Matansa Sparks’ George Cruz.

Rangamar said over 30 players will soon be receiving invitation letters, which he intends to disseminate during this Saturday’s Back 2 School Street Basketball Jam at the Marianas High School.

“The selection of these players to try out is based on their performance and potential during this ongoing league,” Rangamar said.

Rangamar and Aguon will also be meeting with Diaz, Cruz, and Tudela during the streetball tournament to finalize all details of practice sessions and roster cut down date, among others.

“We want the coaches to have a say in this,” Rangamar said. “We’ll just make suggestions.”

Rangamar also added that the tryouts would possibly begin next Friday, with practices on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Meanwhile, Aguon will serve as head coach of the Junior Nationals, which will comprise of players who are not competing in the Rotary league.

“I got some names and I’ll be working on it [yesterday] and [today],” Aguon said. “This is for players who are not playing in the Rotary league, and for anybody that think they have the stuff.”

Aguon said tryout dates have yet to be finalized and will be announced soon. The venue will be at the Northern Marianas College Gymnasium.

Aguon, who coached the CNMI National team to the 2002 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei, is optimistic that the Saipan teams will be competitive with the other teams from the region.

“Its 20-and-under and we got kids that have been playing in Rotary for quite a while, and also we have kids that played in the 22-and-under tournament a couple of years back… they are now turning 20 and have the experience, so I would say our chances are pretty good…at least to finish in the top four,” he said.

Rota and Tinian are also invited to form teams for the competition.

Saipan may also have two teams in the women’s division, with BANMI board member Debra Gerards guiding one team and veteran female player Connie Camacho coaching the other.