Jared Bahay joins Kai Sotto in an exclusive ball club of under-19 talents ruling the NBTC 24 with back-to-back number one rankings.
Jared Bahay continues to make history, becoming the first guard to top the National Basketball Training Center 24 for two years in a row.
Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu's playmaker held on to the No. 1 ranking he has held since last year, after leading his side's successful title defense in CESAFI Season 23 juniors basketball.
He joins Ateneo High School's Kai Sotto as the only players to rule over back-to-back in the final rankings of the most impressive under-19 talents in all of the Philippines.
In the process, Bahay bested De La Salle Zobel do-it-all wing Kieffer Alas and presumptive NCAA Season 99 Juniors MVP Amiel Acido of University of Perpetual Help who wound up No. 2 and 3, respectively.
The 18-year-old playmaker was the first-ever non-UAAP and non-NCAA player to top the NBTC 24, and retains that title as he spearheads a historic six-player contingent from the regions who'll showcase their skills on March 23 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Fellow Magis Eagle Jelomar Rota will also be present alongside Andre Lumanag, Jevy Hinoguin, Renz Apor, and Peter John Peteros, who stood out from the NBTC Regional Championships in Mindanao, North Luzon, South Luzon, and Visayas.
"This is further proof that grassroots basketball is alive and well in the Philippines, and hopefully, as NBTC continues to grow and get stronger, we get more and more promising prospects all over the country," said NBTC program director Eric Altamirano.
Alas fronts a total of 10 representatives from the UAAP, including Doys Dungo, Tebol Garcia, Vince Reyes, Ports Porter, Veejay Pre, John Alejandro, Macmac Alfanta, Daryl Valdeavilla, and Wacky Ludovice.
The NCAA, meanwhile, counts nine players in the NBTC All-Star Game, with Acido flanked by Titing Manalili, George Diamante, Jhames Daep, EJ Castillo, Lawrence Mangubat, Mark Gojo Cruz, and Ruvic Danag.
Rising stars from international and regional teams during the tournament will also be added to the lineups of Team Heart and Team Hustle.
Together with the annual exhibition of the best of the best young talents, the 2024 NBTC National Finals will also witness an All-Star Game from the Manila Live girls tournament, as well as the first-ever Manila Showcase, pitting the top players from Manila Live against the other standouts of the National Finals.
All the action in the 2023 Smart-NBTC National Finals presented by SM Supermalls will be livestreamed on the NBTC Facebook page.
Here's the final 2024 NBTC 24 rankings:
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Jared Bahay, CESAFI/SHS-Ateneo
- Kieffer Alas, UAAP/DLSZ
- Amiel Acido, NCAA/Perpetual
- Doys Dungo, UAAP/UST
- Tebol Garcia, UAAP/Adamson
- Titing Manalili, NCAA/Letran
- Vince Reyes, UAAP/Adamson
- Ports Porter, UAAP/Ateneo
- George Diamante, NCAA/Letran
- Veejay Pre, UAAP/FEU-D
- Jhames Daep, NCAA/Letran
- Jelomar Rota, CESAFI/SHS-Ateneo
- EJ Castillo, NCAA/EAC
- John Alejandro, UAAP/UE
- Lawrence Mangubat, NCAA/Mapua
- Macmac Alfanta, UAAP/NUNS
- Mark Gojo Cruz, NCAA/Perpetual
- Ruvic Danag, NCAA/San Sebastian
- Daryl Valdeavilla, UAAP/UPIS
- Wacky Ludovice, UAAP/UST
- Andre Lumanag, NBTC Mindanao Regionals/Toyomoto Auto Supply-Davao
- Jevy Hinoguin, NBTC North Luzon Regionals/Yengskivel Sportswear-CAMANAVA
- Renz Apor, NBTC South Luzon Regionals/Batang Tiaong-Quezon
- Peter John Peteros, NBTC Visayas Regionals/Khalifa-Cebu