Meralco youngsters grateful for Black’s trust

Meralco’s future is shaping up to be a bright one.

Already expecting huge contributions from sophomores Chris Newsome and Baser Amer, the Bolts also got unlikely boosts from the rookie pair of Ed Daquioag and Jonathan Grey, with the two wasting no time making their presence felt.

Grey, known as a dead-eye scorer in St. Benilde, finished with 11 points and four rebounds in Meralco’s 86-84 loss to Blackwater in its season opener.

Daquioag also joined the party, with the Santo Tomas standout pouring 23 markers, four boards, and three assists in the Bolts’ 106-93 victory over NLEX last Saturday.

And Newsome expects more from his fellow young guns.

“We’re definitely a young team and the credit goes to coach Norman (Black) for trusting us young players to be in the game at crucial times,” last season’s Rookie of the Year said.

With last year’s team captain Jimmy Alapag hanging his sneakers for good, Meralco had to scamper to find some semblance of leadership.

Surprisingly, Black has given the the youngsters a chance to make crucial decisions, a huge responsibility this early in their careers, alongside tested studs like Cliff Hodge, Jared Dillinger, and Reynel Hugnatan.definitely

Newsome is just thankful for the confidence given by the team to Meralco’s youth revolution.

“If you look at other teams in the PBA, they don’t have rookies making big plays for them or just even in the game,” he said, saying that these experiences late in the game could only prove to be beneficial for the Bolts.

“Again, all the credit goes to coach Norman and the coaches for believing in the young talent they drafted and giving that confidence to us to be able to play the way that we do,” said Newsome.