JD Cagulangan joined current Ginebra guard RJ Abarrientos as the Filipino imports to win Rookie of the Year in the Korean Basketball League (KBL).
JD Cagulangan got rewarded immediately in his first taste of professional basketball overseas.
Cagulangan was hailed as the 2024-25 Korean Basketball League (KBL) Rookie of the Year, following a stellar initial season for the Suwon KT Sonicboom.
The UAAP Season 87 Finals MVP out of UP averaged 7.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in just 28 games, emerging as a key piece for the playoff-bound Sonicboom squad who snagged the fourth seed behind a 33-21 record. This after Cagulangan arrived mid-season as he had to finish his collegiate season with the Fighting Maroons.
[ALSO READ: Carl Tamayo, JD Cagulangan help respective clubs to wins in KBL action]
Cagulangan received 57 votes to edge Park Sung-jae of the Seoul Samsung Thunder for the recognition.
A two-time champion with UP, Cagulangan became the second Filipino hooper to win KBL Rookie of the Year after current Ginebra guard RJ Abarrientos achieved the feat back in the 2022-23 season while playing for the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus.
[ALSO READ: RJ Abarrientos wins KBL Rookie of the Year award]
The Sonicboom will face the fifth-ranked Daegu KOGAS Pegasus, featuring SJ Belangel, in the first round of the playoffs starting April 12, Saturday.