JJ Mandaquit of FilAm Select. –NBTC Photo
MANILA, Philippines—Filipino-American player JJ Mandaquit has been included in the under-16 roster of Team USA and is set to compete in the Fiba U16 Americas Championship, starting next week.
The team posted the final 12 talents that will represent the USA in the tournament to be played in Mèrida, Mexico.
Mandaquit will be joined by high-profile talents including the Boozer twins, Cameron and Cayden, sons of former NBA player Carlos Boozer.
Mandaquit showed flashes of his talents when he played for FilNation Select in the recently concluded 2023 Smart-NBTC National Finals.
Mandaquit posted averages of 16.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 3.8 steals per outing for FilNation Select, helping the team ride to the Division 1 Finals while also being selected as an NBTC All-Star.
FilNation, however, bowed to National University-Nazareth School in the final, 75-64, with Mandaquit finishing with 16 markers and six boards.
Mandaquit became one of 12 selected players in the final pool after 39 aspirants tried out for the US last month.