FILE–Arellano Chiefs’ Axel Doromal. –INQUIRER PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Arellano will have to enter full rebuild mode come NCAA Season 99 after losing another one of its key cogs in Axel Doromal.
Doromal, who was set to spearhead the Chiefs next season after a breakout tourney last year, confirmed that he would be forgoing his last two playing years to find better opportunities for his career.
Doromal kept the “opportunities” undisclosed but said he is still “weighing his options.”
“[I’m] still weighing my options because I have two more playing years left, we’re just waiting for something at the moment,” the sharp shooter told Inquirer Sports.
“For now, I left AU so I can find better opportunities,” he added in Filipino.
FILE–Arellano Chiefs in the NCAA Season 98. –NCAA PHOTO
Doromal was the Chiefs’ top scorer last season with an average of 15.56 points per game. He was also the league’s third-leading scorer.
Arellano, however, missed out on a Final Four spot after sporting a 7-11 record.
At season’s end, the changes kept on coming for the Chiefs with the departure of coach Cholo Martin and the hiring of Chico Manabat.
To add to that, team veteran Shane Menina exhausted his collegiate playing years and declared for the draft.
Prior to Doromal’s exit for Arellano, NCAA Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Cade Flores and Travis Mantua also walked out of the Chiefs’ camp.