INQUIRER Sports

Basketball standouts Arvie Bringas of La Salle and Kevin Alas of Letran share more than just a series of ups and down in their first seasons

EXCEPT for the fact that they would have been collegiate teammates, De La Salle basketball standout Arvie Bringas and Letran’s Kevin Alas share little in common.

Bringas plays at the frontcourt, preferring to strong-arm defenders with his strength and guile, while Alas operates at the top of the key, taking defenders off the dribble. They were both rivals in high school when Bringas and the San Sebastian Staglets almost always found Alas and the Letran Squires in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) high school basketball finals. They belong to different leagues in college, with Bringas having jumped over to the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and Alas staying at the NCAA.

Both, however, have been greatly influenced to take up the sport by a member of their family. And both have also experienced playing in the same team with a brother. Kevin continues to do so until now with older brother Kristoffer.

“Of course, I started very young because my father is a coach,” Kevin said. Kevin’s father, Louie, was part of the coaching staff of PBA ballclub Purefoods, so that basketball easily became a major part of his childhood. “I was six years old then and I was going to the Purefoods practices,” Kevin said. “I felt very lucky. I was practicing my shooting with Alvin Patrimonio.” Patrimonio is an institution in Philippine basketball, having won four PBA Most Valuable Player awards.

Even though Arvie did not have a similar privilege, his older brother Tonton, now a varsity player at Far Eastern U, nurtured his competitive fire and desire early. “I wasn’t into basketball at first,” said Arvie. “My first love was volleyball, but Tonton kept convincing me to try basketball. He was always there to mentor me, even until now.”

Though he was already a six-footer at 12, Arvie said his skills in those early years betrayed him. “All I knew then was how to rebound,” he said. “I was shooting very near the basket and sometimes I would still miss.” Arvie fed on Tonton’s desire for him to play better. Together, the siblings would play in inter-town meets in Bataan, representing Orani town. Not long after, the brothers’ tandem caught the eye of scouts because of their dominant play. Former PBA player Elmer Reyes recruited them in 2005 to play for San Sebastian in the NCAA.

Basketball occupied most of Kevin’s childhood. His interest was fuelled at their Las Pinas home where coach Louie built his children a small basketball court. Along with Kristoffer, Kevin would develop his game in this backyard court. “I would see them every morning playing one on one games when they were kids,” recalled coach Louie. Things got a little heated at times so that coach Louie had to come in and control his sons. “My brother and I often fought on the court, and Papa would allow us to fight just so we’d learn our lesson.”

The older Alas also taught Kevin and Kristoffer other lessons, as the two would join him as he mentored the Manila Metrostars in the now defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association. “I had to bring them along almost all the time,” recalled coach Louie. By then, Kevin was already showing a lot of promise. He would win shooting contests during halftime shows on the road.

Kevin came out of Letran high school as one of the most sought-after high school players in the country. He was supposed to join La Salle, which would have allowed him to team up with Bringas, but changed his mind and became a Letran Knight under the tutelage of his father. “I felt like I could help the team more at Letran,” Kevin said. “At the same time, I had to deal with the expectations that come with being the coach’s son.”

In his rookie season, however, Kevin proved he was more than just that, brandishing a wide array of skills and compiling some highlight reels of his own. Against eventual champion San Sebastian, Kevin buried a shot while he was literally sitting on the floor – just one of those shots he had worked on countless times in their backyard. Though the Knights ended their campaign with another Final Four finish, Kevin finished the season with aplomb, scoring a career-high 24 points, including 14 in the fourth period in the semifinal defeat to San Beda.

Though not as fast as a prototypical point guard, Kevin is every bit as quick with the ball, developing a remarkable acumen that has earned the trust of his father. “I cannot deny him his spot in the team because he has the skills and the talent,” Coach Louie said.

Kevin credits his father for the vast improvement in his playing skills. “Papa is a perfectionist on and off the court,” said this 17-year-old who intends to finish a degree in Computer Science.

Arvie, on the other hand, depended on his country smarts to adjust to his new home in Manila, all the way from Orani, Bataan. “The game is different in Manila, I had to adjust because I was used to being the biggest player on the court. Here, there are lots of bigger and quicker players,” he explained.

Under Coach Raymond Valenzona, Arvie flourished into one of the finest big men to come out of San Sebastian high school. He played a part in the three of the four titles won by the Staglets these past five years. He played alongside his brother Tonton in 2006 when they won their only NCAA juniors crown together. In his final year with the Staglets, Arvie, averaging double figures in points and rebounds, was named to the Mythical Five and was adjudged MVP of the Finals against Alas’ Letran.

His achievements made 19-year-old Arvie, who stands 6-foot-4, a top high school prospect. He practiced with Ateneo twice before joining La Salle. “Ateneo was loaded with big men and I felt my style would fit La Salle,” said Arvie, who is taking up Sports Management at DLSU. Arvie said he consulted his parents, Artemio and Ma. Victoria, and Valenzona before arriving at the decision to join La Salle, a move that would make him an instant rival of former teammate Ryan Buenafe, who plays for Ateneo.

Though Arvie’s first season with the Archers ended in disappointment after La Salle failed to barge into the Final Four, the player said their rookie-laden team showed a lot of promise. “The good thing is that we can still get better,” he said. Arvie struggled for most of the season, but showed flashes of brilliance. During some stretches, he would barrel his way into the paint, strong-arming smaller forwards and stretching the defense with an ever-improving perimeter game. He was exceptional in the double-overtime victory against University of Santo Tomas in the elimination round.

But Arvie said the game meant more to him than his 22-point output. His grandfather, Pepito Paredes, died because of a lingering illness in Bataan. “I checked on him that morning,” Arvie recalled. “After the post-game interview, the coaching staff extended their condolences and I broke down.” He added: “Maybe that was the reason I played well on that day.”

Having experienced several ups and downs in their inaugural season in the tough arena of Philippine collegiate basketball, Kevin and Arvie can’t wait for the next season to prove their worth. Their backgrounds and basketball upbringing may be different, but Kevin and Arvie share the same desire to make it big in the sport closest to their hearts. •