Jumamoy wants all the smoke.
The NU Bulldogs may have lost their main man John Lloyd Clemente, but they are bringing in arguably one of the best and most talented young point guards today: UAAP juniors MVP Reinhard Jumamoy.
Naturally, prying eyes will be putting the 5-foot-11 do-it-all playmaker under heavy scrutiny after posting eye-popping per-game averages of 18.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 2.8 steals in his lone season in UAAP boy’s basketball.
Fortunately for the young point guard, he won’t have to be thrown into the fire immediately, as he will be sharing backcourt duties with seasoned guards Kean Baclaan and Steve Nash Enriquez.
Even so, that does not mean Jumamoy is content on being in the shadows. In fact, he already wants to be one of the top guys of the Bulldogs.
“Gusto ko maging leader kahit bata pa ko. Gusto ko maging vocal sa kanila para matulungan ko sila,” Jumamoy told One Sports.
And, from the looks of it, Enriquez and Baclaan are helping out their backcourt mate.
“Siyempre, point guard ako e kaya ayun, tinutulungan ako ng mga kuya ko, sila Nash at Kean, to be a better leader,” Jumamoy said of his two teammates.
But while Enriquez and Baclaan have taken Jumamoy under their wing, the three are, apparently, going at it relentlessly at practice—at least according to NU coach Jeff Napa in an interview in One PH’s Power and Play.
“It’s a different story ngayong college. Pero pinu-prove naman niya [Jumamoy] na kasama siya dun kina Steve Nash at Kean, na talagang nagpapagalingan silang tatlo,” Napa said of the dynamic among his three talented playmakers. “Happy ako na nag-commit siya sa ‘min, talagang nag-stay siya para makipagkompitensiya dun sa dalawa at makatulong dito sa program namin dito sa NU.”
Now, if he plays anything like he did in the juniors division, Jumamoy will surely be a big help to NU as it looks to improve on its final four finish from a season ago.
And it appears he is prepared and willing to do whatever it takes for that to happen.
“Gagawin ko po lahat ng pinapagawa ng mga coaches namin,” vowed the young guard.