What's up with Japeth Aguilar?

[thescene]

It should be interesting to see him play in the PBL to see how much he hasa improved.

[tickle_me_emo]

Japeth's putback slam:

watch video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj79nBUf8y4







Japeth’s slam dunk highlights Western Kentucky game
By RONNIE NATHANIELSZ | 01/12/2009 5:41 PM

For a moment it looked like PBA MVP Kelly Williams or rookie sensation Gabe Norwood as they often bring fans to their feet with follow-up slam dunks.

But it was not.

Instead it was Western Kentucky University’s 6’9” center Japeth Aguilar slamming it home in a 78-57 rout of Florida Atlantic on Sunday, Manila Time.

Former PBA superstar and “King of the Boards” Abe King excitedly emailed www.insidesports.ph giving details of the gangling Aguilar’s slam dunk which was seen on the widely popular YouTube.

The video showed Japeth in the “Hilltoppers” red cutting right down the middle to slam a missed shot into the basket with perfect timing.

Aguilar played for only five minutes as his coach is slowly nursing him back to full strength from a metatarsal injury on his right foot.

But in his short stint Japeth, son of former PBA player Peter Aguilar, scored on the dunk and made one-of-two free throws and pulled down four rebounds, two offensive and two defensive.

Aguilar and his father have committed to try out for the PBA-supported Philippine Team coached by Yeng Guiao and have disclosed that Japeth, a former Ateneo center in the UAAP, would be home in May to try for a spot in the national team. The squad under Guiao is set to compete in the SEABA Games as well as the FIBA Asian qualifier for the World Basketball Championships.

King who is chairman of the PBA Legends USA Foundation said he watches all Japeth’s games on pay TV but said that “although Japeth is very promising, he lacks exposure.”

[rational]

Bakit hindi na naman naglalaro si Japeth? Don't tell me injured na naman?

[rational]

Damn! One game after Japeth starts and scores 8 points, (career high?), he gets benched in their last game of the regular season.

[seether05]

last year na ba ni Japeth yan? o meron pa?

[spongklong]

last year na.

[MakaveliLives]

Damn! One game after Japeth starts and scores 8 points, (career high?), he gets benched in their last game of the regular season.

Kaya lang naman sha pinag start kase senior sha..last home game nila yun tradition talaga na pinapagstart mga seniors..

[thescene]

Well the Hilltoppers are into the Conference playoffs as the top seed. Their first game is on the 8th.

[Derrick_Rose]

last year na.

Magpapadraft na siya sa PBA kasi nag 24 yrs.old na siya 2 months ago.

Saka ok na naman yung experience niya sa paglalaro sa NCAA kasi mas mataas ang level ng competition dun, and kahit na binabangko siya ng coaching staff eh marami din siya siguro na natutunan sa practice.

[rational]

Kaya lang naman sha pinag start kase senior sha..last home game nila yun tradition talaga na pinapagstart mga seniors..

Ah ok. I thought pa naman he's doing better.

[adonis827]

so japeth is still with wku after all? kamusta na ba ang season ng wku?

[Katchatore]

so japeth is still with wku after all? kamusta na ba ang season ng wku?

Kakalaglag lang nila sa Rd of 32 vs Gonzaga. They lost via a squeaker because WKU players on the floor didn't defend the ball when it mattered. Yun lusot para sa layup yung Gonzaga.

[coachk]

Japeth's US NCAA career ended less than an hour ago after the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers lost to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 81 -83, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Aguilar didn't see action in WKU's two tournament games.

His highlight during the tournament was being on the front page of ESPN.com two days ago.

[lechon x]

Its time to go home and play bbal.

[parkingboy]

Its time to go home and play bbal.

reality check ba yan?

[rookiemonster]

Japeth Aguilar is like our own version of Greg Oden.

Too much hype, gets injured a lot at higit sa lahat, kung tutuusin - wala pa talaga siyang napapatunayan.

[mellowscream]

Eala said he is in contact with former Western Kentucky center Japeth Aguilar’s father Peter, a former PBA cager now living in Chicago , about the possibility of the 6-10 center joining the Smart Gilas team.

Aguilar, who once played for Ateneo in the UAAP, is deciding whether to enlist in Toroman’s squad or the Powerade national team, made up of PBA All-Stars coached by Yeng Guiao. He is also considering applying for the coming PBA draft.

“I see no conflict if Japeth decides to play for coach Rajko or coach Yeng because he could do both,” said Eala. “He’ll definitely get much more exposure doing that. But if he decides to enter the PBA draft, then it’ll be very difficult for him to join coach Rajko because of contractual commitments with his mother team.”

Eala said Aguilar is better off gaining experience with Toroman.

“Japeth was working out with two Serbians in Western Kentucky and he found out how well-respected coach Rajko is,” continued Eala. “Rajko is revered in Serbia on the same level as Vlade Divac and Toni Kukoc. We’ve got a program set for Japeth where he can learn and mature. Right now, he can’t be better than Asi Taulava or Sonny Thoss or Jay-R Reyes. I don’t know what minutes he’ll get in the PBA. But with coach Rajko, he’ll get polished. And when he’s done with the national team, Japeth will be ready to dominate in the PBA.”


http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx...bCategoryId=69

[jammerdyepoy]

Japeth starts training with Pilipinas team
By Joey Villar Updated April 26, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines – Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan said US-based Japeth Aguilar has joined the Smart Gilas Pilipinas team under Serbian coach Rajko Toroman.

“Japeth (Aguilar) has arrived so he’s joining the practice game of Smart Gilas Pilipinas,” said Pangilinan during his surprise visit to Philippine Sports Commission chair Harry Angping Friday.

But Pangilinan, who also chairs the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines, stressed the 6-foot-10 Aguilar will be allowed to play for the all-pro RP team under coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao.

“I think the situation is he (Aguilar) will join Smart Gilas but we’ll lend him to the PBA Nationals for the mean time. That’s the arrangement,” said Pangilinan.

Pangilinan said Aguilar, who played for US NCAA Division I school West Kentucky University, has improved a lot since he last played for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP years back.

Import CJ Giles has also joined the RP developmental team in Las Vegas, apparently making a good impression with sterling performances against the IMPACT team composed of prospective NBA top draft picks and former All-Star Antoine Walker.

Giles will be tapped as import when Smart Gilas competes in the 20th FIBA-Asia Champions Cup slated May 12-20 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

“With Japeth and CJ Giles, we should be okay,” said Pangilinan.

Pangilinan also said it would be up to Eala and Toroman to decide whether or not Giles would be their choice for naturalization.

It can be recalled that the SBP has invited Chris Taft to join team practice here but decided in the end that the 6-foot-11 player did not fit the bill.

Giles could be the one Smart Gilas is looking for.

“We’ll leave it to Noli and Rajko if he (Giles) is really the right one,” said Pangilinan.

[d_i_a]

Japeth likely to see action in Fiba-Asia
Daily Tribune
04/26/2009

Japeth Aguilar may see action in the 20th Fiba-Asia Champions Cup, too.

This was bared by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Manny Pangilinan the other day, saying negotiations between his group and the lanky former Ateneo de Manila University slotman is already in full swing despite his earlier commitment with the PBA-backed RP Team.

The United States-based Aguilar, who donned the colors of the Western Kentucky University in the Division I of the US NCAA, has already been informed to join the scrimmage of the Smart Gilas national team under Serbian coach Rajko Toroman in Las Vegas, Nevada along with other foreign-bred Filipino cagers as part of the PLDT Global Training Camp for North America.

Pangilinan said with the 6-foot-9 Aguilar patrolling the lanes together with 6-foot-11 reinforcement CJ Giles, Smart Gilas will be a force to reckon with in the Champions Cup on May 12 in Jakarta, Indonesia where it will be pitted against powerhouse squads Lebanon, Qatar and Iran in the elimination round.

And after helping the young Gilas squad, Aguilar will join the all-professional National Team under Yeng Guiao in its campaign in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) Championship in Medan, Indonesia in June.

“I think the arrangement is that he will play for us but we'll lend him to the PBA national team,” Pangilinan said during his brief visit to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). “He looks bigger and better. And according to (SBP executive director) Noli (Eala), he's already 6-foot-10 and looks good with our new import, CJ Giles.”

Pangilinan also expressed his satisfaction with the performance of Giles where he registered 19 points in a 128-122 victory over the Antoine Walker-powered Impact All-Stars the other day despite nursing a sore thumb.

Despite his open admiration to the 23-year-old American, however, the telecommunications mogul is leaving the final decision to Toroman and Eala.

“He looks good,” he said. “But we'll leave it up to Noli and Rajko kung siya na nga ang nararapat sa amin.”

[jammerdyepoy]

Aguilar earns wings, powers RP team's win
Updated April 27, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Japeth Aguilar made a good account of himself in his first game with Smart Gilas Pilipinas as he powered the Nationals to a 108-98 upset win over the Las Vegas Aczes in the SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas)-PLDT Global Camp at the Impact Facilities in Las Vegas over the weekend.

The 6-10 Aguilar, who played for US NCAA Division I Western Kentucky University, came away with 15 points, five rebounds and two shot blocks to make up for the absence of 6-11 American import CJ Giles, who hyper-extended his right thumb in practice the day before.

It was the Nationals’ second win in three starts in their six-game, 10-day training camp made possible by PLDT Global.

Smart Gilas, with Giles on the firing end, earlier stunned an IMPACT All-Stars squad, headed by former NBA All-Star Anoine Walker and a number of prospective top NBA draft picks, 128-122.

Team RP dropped a 92-105 setback to IMPACT All-Stars in its first game.

“The team is still learning, we played a team with strong individual skills and we can’t afford to start slow,” said SBP executive director Noli Eala.

“It’s a young team and there is a tendency to sometimes be awed and intimidated by bigger opponents. Japeth was impressive considering he hasn’t practiced with Smart Gilas, he will be a great addition to the national team,” he said.

Dylan Ababou, a University of Santo Tomas mainstay, paced the Rajko Toroman-mentored squad with 20 points, taking over for the Nationals in the early going where they clawed back from a 3-18 deficit.

The Nationals sustained their momentum and seized control in the fourth, enabling Toroman to field in all 14 of his players.

Mark Barroca, team captain Chris Tiu and Filipino-American Greg Slaughter tossed in 18, 16 and 12 points, respectively.

Aguilar, Giles and the rest of the Smart Gilas Pilipinas squad are expected to return to the country on May 1 in time for the 20th FIBA-Asia Champions Cup slated May 12-20 in Jakarta, Indonesia. – Joey Villar