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Aguon names team for FIBA Oceania Youth
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Posted on Aug 07 2008
The CNMI men’s team for the 2008 FIBA Oceania Youth Tournament in Guam will have a smattering of rookies who will join several veterans of off-island competitions.
Men’s national coach Rufino Aguon announced his 10-man lineup Wednesday and it includes five mainstays of the 2008 Micronesian Basketball Tournament that was also held in the U.S. territory last November.
In fact, if the games start tomorrow, four of the MBT veterans—center Jayvan Tarkong, forwards Jericho Cruz and Marvin Rabauliman and guard Allen Moses—will join playmaker Joemary Tumaquip in the starting five.
The rest of the team is made up of reserve center and MBT veteran Bill Kaipat, slotman Antonio Borja, forward James Camacho, and guards Jose Castro and Joseph White.
The tallest in the roster is Borja at 6’5” while Cruz and Tarkong both stand 6’. Moses and Babauta are just a shade under at 5’11”, while Rabauliman is 5’10”.
Camacho, White, and Castro are 5’9”, 5’6”, and 5’5”, respectively, while Tumaquip is the shortest at 5’4”.
Aside from the 10, Aguon has also five other players serving as alternates and they are Rainier Deleon Guerrero, Edward Manalili, Lawrence Deleon Guerrero, Heartim Williams, amd John Villagomez.
He said eight of his 10-man roster are already training with him at the NMC Gym, while Babauta and Borja are currently in Guam and will meet up with the rest of the team before the tournament starts.
“They are going to school at University of Guam and are doing their own workouts. The alternates will continue training with the team and in case of injuries or other reasons the 10 selected cannot make it, then they will fill in the slot,” said Aguon.
The longtime CNMI national coach said the men’s team currently practices five days a week with Monday, Wednesday, Friday reserve for track duties at the Oleai Sports Complex and Tuesday and Thursday for basketball drills a the NMC Gym.
The 2008 FIBA Oceania Youth Tournament is set from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4 at the UOG Fieldhouse.
