By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

A SERIES of tryouts for the CNMI Junior National Team that will be competing in a regional tournament will start on Jan. 28 in the Northern Marianas College Gym.
Coach Rufino Aguon said the tryouts and training program will be as tough as the one he conducted for the CNMI Men’s National Team that played in last year’s 6th Micronesian Games.
“The national program is to ensure we have the best team both mentally and physically.  As in all tryouts, we want to determine the caliber of players and their willingness to go the extra mile for themselves and for their country,” Aguon said.
“There are three things I will be looking for: skills, height and attitude,” he added.
The tryouts will be held thrice a week every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The tryouts are open only to 19-and-under players, who are allowed to travel to Guam and will not turn 20 before Nov. 18.
The series of tryouts will last for a month and Aguon will initially pick 15 players from the pool.
“An initial squad will be determined by end of February so that they can compete in the 25-and-under league as part of their training,” Aguon said.
The selected 15 players will be preparing for the Micronesian Basketball 19-and-under Youth Tournament, which will be held at the University of Guam Fieldhouse from Nov. 18 to Nov. 24 this year.
Only 12 players will be chosen for the Guam caging, but after the 19-and-under tournament, the initial selection will be joining a pool, which will also prepare for two regional tournaments.
Next year, the NMI is hoping to send teams to Pohnpei for the Micronesian Basketball Tournament and the 20-and-under Oceania caging, also on Guam.
“This group will complement the pool of national players that we have documented so they will also be eligible for open competitions such as the 2008 Micronesia Basketball Tournament, and the 20-and-under Cceania championship,” Aguon said.