2 weeks Ago By Rob Andrew Dongiapon
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rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-1" );MANILA, Philippines – After winning the UAAP juniors basketball MVP with La Salle Zobel, Kieffer Alas now plots his next career move. Alas, who recently turned 18 years old, will head to Australia for a one-month camp this April to kickstart an intensive year of development ahead of what is expected to be a crucial college decision.
“Right now, the initial plan is to train in Australia for one month. Then, let’s see what happens from there,” Alas told Rappler. Alas has refused to disclose any specifics about the Australia camp, but he believed it would be the best move for his young career so far.
In Australia, Alas said he would be competing against bigger and more experienced athletes, which would help his growth as a basketball player.“I just want to play my heart out there,” he said. “I want to be able to learn whatever I can there and be a better player after that.
”Alas was named the top high school prospect in this year’s NBTC rankings, which listed the best under-19 players in the country. Alas, a Grade 11 student, is coming off an impressive season with La Salle, averaging 20.07 points, 11.
14 rebounds, 4.93 assists, and 1.07 steals per game, but the Junior Archers fell short of a Final Four seed for the eighth straight year.
While the doors to return as a Junior Archer next season remain open, Alas is expected to explore international opportunities, much like young prospects Andy Gemao and Kai Sotto, both of whom ended their local high school career with one year of eligibility left. There is a good chance he would still return to the country to play his collegiate years in the UAAP, where his father, Louie Alas, works as an assistant coach for Tab Baldwin’s Ateneo Blue Eagles. But the young Alas is also seeking a US NCAA Division I school offer, exploring possibilities for his future.
“Nothing really set in stone. Again, let’s see what happens,” Alas said. window.
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displayAd( "mobile-middle-2" );Alas has long been one of the stars for the Gilas Youth program, leading the team to the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup, only for him to miss the world tournament due to a sprained ACL. But the youngest brother of NLEX Road Warriors and former Gilas seniors player Kevin Alas has since bounced back strong from the injury, playing a sensational MVP year for La Salle. The second-generation player was named in the Mythical Five of the FIBA Asia Under-16 Championship in 2023 to mark the start of his international quest.
For now, Alas wants to see more high school players be empowered in their basketball careers, just like how he is assessing every possible path he can take. “I want the high school players to do whatever they want in their basketball careers as long as they put their hearts into it,” he said. “We’re young and we all just have to keep on working hard.
” – Rappler.com.
