NBTC: Not an easy D1 title run for FilAm Nation, Byron Scott
Byron Scott, a former NBA coach, coaching the FilAm Nation Select-USA in the 2025 Smart-NBTC National Finals Division 1. –NBTC PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—A second straight crown in the 2025 Smart-NBTC National Finals Division 1 didn’t come without difficulties for coach Byron Scott and FilAm Nation Select-USA.
Following the squad’s second straight title in the country’s annual 19-and-under basketball tournament, the former NBA coach admitted that having little time to form a cohesive unit that’s built to compete for the crown was a big challenge.
READ: NBTC: FilAm Nation wins back to back, new Division 2 champ crowned
“It’s always hard. When you’re playing against teams that’ve been together for years and you bring a team together that’s been together for a week, it makes your job that much harder,” said Scott, who took post after former FilAm Nation coach Chris Gavina.
“I give the guys credit because 90% of the time they carried things out. It’s more fulfilling for us because of the fact that you put these guys together and you expect them to gel, but sometimes it doesn’t happen that way.”
FilAm Nation played like they knew each other for a long time as they outlasted Phenom Blue Fire-Pasay in the Finals, 64-59.
Fil-Am Nation Select-USA’s Angelino Mark during the 2025 Smart-NBTC National Finals. – (NBTC/Hero Dela Pena)
Angelino Mark spearheaded FilAm Nation to the win with 32 points, also earning the honors of being the tourney’s Ato Balodato Most Outstanding Player.
The Pasay squad, though, was a team built from numerous high school talents from around the country but the USA team went up against cohesive units in the previous round.
In the Division 1 semis, FilAm Nation faced the NU Nazareth Bullpups, a squad that’s been through highs and lows from the UAAP Season 87 to the NBTC.
READ: Kieffer Alas impresses former NBA coach Byron Scott
The Select USA squad defeated the Bullpups in the semis, 85-73, overcoming NU Nazareth’s stellar team chemistry.
Mark powered FilAm-Nation to that victory with 26 points while Caelum Harris turned in a monster double-double of 19 points and 10 assists for the win.
Miguel Palanca benefitted from NU Nazareth’s familiarity 21 points and 11 rebounds but Scott’s wards just proved too good.
In the end, Scott had to give praise, not just for Pasay, but for every squad and high school talents his squad played against with in the one-week tournament.
“[There was] a lot of talent. The thing that I love about Filipino basketball is how hard they play. They compete. They come at you for 40 minutes,” he said.
“They don’t give up. They don’t back down. They play a physical style of basketball, which is what we used to play back in the day.”
