Gilas Pilipinas will always be on the lookout for young talent. There are quite a handful already in the pipeline, most notably USA under-16 standout JJ Mandaquit.
Gilas Pilipinas Youth qualified for the FIBA U17 World Cup in Turkey next year behind the likes of Kieffer Alas, Joaquin Ludovice, and Kurt Velasquez.
While he’s still too young for the national squad, one kid the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) should keep an eye on is an unknown Filipino-Nigerian.
Meet Samuel Esomchi.
In a video posted by HoopX Basketball on Facebook, many netizens were left in awe by the highlights of the skillful cager, who dunked during a game in one tournament.
He’s only 12 years old.
He’s being called Baby Giannis, in reference to two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to the video, which has already garnered almost 770,000 views and almost 14,000 reactions, as of writing.
It claimed that Esomchi, who hails from Cavite and plays for De La Salle Greenhills, is already 6-foot-3. While that’s unverified, it’s quite obvious that he’s head and shoulders above his teammates and opponents.
In one game in a 12-and-under league, Esomchi put up 30 points, 28 rebounds, and five blocks. In another outing, he had 42 markers, 22 boards, and two swats.
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While the video also pointed out that he’s still slow and underdeveloped, that’s only expected from a young player. But it’s quite evident that he has a huge potential. He can handle the rock, position himself in the paint, and use his height.
Of course, it’s still too early to know how far Esomchi could go in his basketball journey. But it won’t hurt if he piques the SBP’s interest.