Slam Rising Stars Classic celebrates 10th anniversary in style
Photos courtesy of: Vyn Radovan
The 2024 Slam Rising Stars classic kicked off their 10th year anniversary with style as Team Hype and Team Punks once again graced the hardwood inside the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong.
The annual showcase with the best players in the high school ranks showed off why they were chosen for this event as they exhibited rim-rattling slams, deep three-pointers, and a close game till the final buzzer that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Leading the way for Team Punks was Veejay Pre, the latest star recruit of the FEU Tamaraws. From the opening tip to the final buzzer, he proved why he’s one of the favorites to win Rookie of the Year in the upcoming UAAP men’s basketball season.
Team Hype on the other hand was also led by an incoming Tamaraw in the name of Jedrick Daa. He made the court his own personal exhibition every time he stepped on the floor as he attempted to dunk the ball every chance he got.
His heroics made him the MVP of the tournament which was co-presented by ANTA.
The warmups and jerseys worn by the participants were met with numerous ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ by the audience as this has been a staple of pride, excellence and priority by the leadership of ANTA.
Hype came out as the victors winning 75-72 against Punk.
Other present members of Team Punks were John Alejandro, Liam Acido, Kirk Cañete, Kyle Timbol, Mark Esperanza and Mark Gojo-Cruz.
Team Hype had Gilliam Quines, Collins Akowe, Janray Castillo, Laurence Mangubat and Drei Lorenzo to round off the participants.
The next bout featured the best women hoopers the country has to offer in the form of Team Stars and Team Buckets.
As what you could expect from star-studded rosters, both teams went the distance as it was a neck and neck battle until the final seconds. The “Buckets” crew, coming from behind for majority of the game, stole the show and ultimately the game by showing up in the most crucial moments.
Deer Valley TITAN Camille Nolasco dazzled everyone inside the gym as she deservingly earned the MVP honors because of her consistency and effort to give her team the edge over their opponents.
Check out our highlight reel on how the boys’ game went:
