19-and-under cagers wanted

With the FIBA Oceania Under-19 Youth Basketball Tournament less than three months away, the Basketball Association of the Northern Mariana Islands is still in need of players to fill in the 10-man rosters of the men’s and women’s national teams.

In a meeting last night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, men’s national coach Rufino Aguon said, at the most, seven players from last year’s Micronesian Basketball Tournament will be available for the Oceania Under-19 tourney.

He said of the seven, five are currently on Saipan—center Jayvan Tarkong, forwards Jericho Cruz and Marvin Rabauliman, and guards Allen Moses and Joe Castro.

Aguon said Bill Babauta and Tony Borja are currently in Guam taking up college and will be joining the team, provided they are doing their training on their own.

The Oceania Under-19 tourney will be held in the southernmost chain of the Marianas.

Aguon said he is still looking for players to fill up the three vacant slots as the CNMI—as per FIBA rules—is allowed to field only 10 players for the Oceania Under-19 tourney.

Interested players who were born on or after Jan. 1, 1999, can still join the regular training being conducted at the Northern Marianas College Gymnasium Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Other members of last year’s Micronesian Basketball Tournament were Damien Deleon Guererro, Keoni Chariton, Steven Tenorio, Frank Basa, Won Joo Jung, and Jerome Norita. The latter two are already over the age limit.

In an earlier interview, Aguon said he plans to enter the 19-under national team in the upcoming BANMI 25-and-under caging.

The 25-and-under caging will be the final tune-up tournament for the Junior Nationals before they head to Guam in the last week of September for the Oceania Under-19, which will feature teams from Australia, Palau, New Caledonia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu

Outstanding players from each team will be selected for the Oceania all-star squad, which will then play in the U20 Australian National Championships in Brisbane next year.

Women’s national coach Elias Rangamar, meanwhile, is having trouble putting up a team for the Oceania Under-19 tourney, as most of his players—including her No. 1 player Chelsea Ruluked—have already left the CNMI.

He said he will be holding tryouts beginning 2pm this Monday, July 14, at the Ada Gym. Rangamar hopes that veterans of the Marianas Inter-Scholastic Organization and Private Schools League will attend the tryouts and form the core of the women’s 19-and-under national team.