Raymar Jose. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Raymar Jose is raring to continue the tradition of Far Eastern U alumni making an impact in the PBA.
After honing his craft in the international stage, the 6-foot-4 forward takes on a new challenge as he enters the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft.
“I focused on Gilas first. But when the Champions Cup was over, I felt that I was ready,” he said.
Jose has had a memorable collegiate career, establishing himself as one of the toughest bruisers in the amateur ranks in his time with the Tamaraws.
He averaged 11.1 points and 11.0 rebounds in 27.6 minutes in his final year in Morayta before joining Kaohsiung Truth in the ASEAN Basketball League, where he netted 10.6 markers and 4.8 boards.
Jose would later on sign up with Cignal HD Hawkeyes, averaging 12.27 points and 10.18 rebounds en route to him being named as the 2017 PBA D-League Foundation Cup MVP.
Those stops were enough to earn him a spot in the Gilas Pilipinas roster for the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, helping the Philippines win another gold medal in men’s basketball.
Jose was also part of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas crew which competed in the 2017 Fiba Asia Champions Cup in Chenzhou, China, where he amassed averages of 5.0 markers and 3.4 boards in 11.7 minutes.
What you see is what you get on the 25-year-old’s game, and he’s leaning on his strengths to establish his name in the pro league.
“What I can give to the team is my hustle and defense. I’m known for doing whatever the team needs from me, so I’ll just make sure to do the little things for whatever team drafts me,” he said.