Red Bull hopes to tap Kerby

Officials of Red Bull have expressed confidence they would be able to elevate youthful Kerby Raymundo to the PBA and subsequently build the team around him when the team makes its debut in the pro league next month.

PBA legal counsel Butch Cleofe yesterday said Red Bull has only to prove Raymundo "is a high school graduate or would have graduated in the school year 1995-96" to be able to get clearance to join the PBA.

Raymundo was one of the six "direct recruits" coach Yeng Guiao picked from the Red Bull squad in the Philippine Basketball League with the talented 6-foot-7 slotman from Bataan expected to create an impact on his rookie year.

While Red Bull officials said they can easily produce the necessary documents, some quarters doubted Raymundo would be eligible to join the PBA since the veteran SEA Games campaigner is largely believed to be turning only 19 this year and has graduated from high school in 1997 - the same year he played his rookie year in the NCAA with the Letran Knights.

The Red Bull camp, however, believes it can elevate Raymundo to the pro ranks, saying it can come up with evidence proving the prized cager actually started his high school studies in 1992 and would have graduated in 1996 if he did not skip classes for one year.

PBA draft rules state that a player is eligible to join the draft if he is 23 years old by June 30, 2000 or a high school graduate, or would have graduated from high school in the school year 1995-96.

"They have yet to submit documents. Once they submit, I'll start verifying it kahit saan pang lupalop manggaling ang documents niya," said Cleofe, the same person who unearthed discrepancies in Marlou Aquino's papers, prompting the 6-foot-9 cager to withdraw his application in 1993.

If Raymundo is cleared and allowed to play in the PBA, he becomes the youngest cager to play in the PBA since Nick Bulaong turned pro at 18 when he joined the Toyota Tamaraws in 1997. -