Nine of the young players who competed last year are still eligible to join this year’s team and six of them are still around, while eight new faces have been showing up in the tryouts that started two weeks ago at the Northern Marianas College Gym.
Head coach Rufini Aguon in an interview said only 10 will be drafted to the NMI team and all these boys, both the returnees and the new comers will have to work it out.
Aguon said that among the NMI team last year, three of them—Frank Blas, Juan Wonjun and Denard Norita are now over age.
Last year’s team members who are still eligible are Bill Babauta, Tony Borja, Damien Deleon Guerrero, Keoni Charito, Allen Moses, Marvin Rabauliman, Javen Tarkong and Jericho Cruz.
Rufino said Deleon Guerrero now lives in the U.S. so it may not be possible for him to join the team.
Babauta and Borja are both in Guam but apparently still interested to play for the NMI, are in constant contact with the coaching team.
Rufino said Babauta are doing their practice on Guam.
Chariton is attending the tryout and practice but still nursing his injured right leg. He got hurt during a game in the Inter-government/business League, playing for NMC a few weeks ago. He is expecting the cast to be taken off on Saturday.
Rufino said he and team manager, Ed Manalili will decide on the draft by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, the tryouts for the girls team are still going in at the Marianas High School.
Ten girls have already showed up during last Monday’s tryout, according to Basketball Association of Northern Mariana Island President Elias Rangamar but they are still waiting for more girls 19 years old and under to come.
The tryout schedule has been extended to another week.
Rangamar said they want to give more female basketball players on the islands the chance to be selected to national team.
For the girls’ team, the tryout schedules are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the MHS Gym; Tuesday and Thursday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym at 4:30 p.m.
