Like Sotto, Tolentino, Anonuevo get offers from US NCAA schools

MANILA, Philippines – Kai Sotto remained the center of attention, but Sage Tolentino and Cholo Anonueveo also got noticed in the United States basketball scene. And it won't take long for Lebron Lopez to gain keen observers, too.

Towering at 7-foot-2, Sotto will begin the grind with his NBA G League select team dubbed Ignite next week in Walnut Creek, California.

Though he shunned offers and feelers from US NCAA schools like University of Kentucky, University of Georgia, Auburn University, Georgia Tech, University of Nebraska, University of South California, Boston College and De Paul University to take the less travelled Professional Pathway Program of the NBA, Sotto's stock continued to rise.

In the 2021 NBA Mock Draft held on June 20, Sotto was picked No. 24, which would have put him with the Golden State Warriors. Sotto, whose goal is to play for the San Antonio Spurs, where his role model Tim Duncan made his mark, is ranked No. 7 among the probable centers of the world's premier cage league.

After moving out of Hawaii, Tolentino, 7-foot-1 and still growing at 16, is now in the radar of Kansas University, University of Kentucky and Tennessee State University, which tendered a formal offer last month.

Anonuevo, a 19-year-old 6-foot-4 athletic guard-forward out of Far Eastern University-Diliman, got the same offer from TSU, a Division I school in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Like Sotto, Tolentino and Anonuevo signed up with East West Private, which in turn put them under The Skills Factory first.

Only 16 and 6-foot-5, Lopez, who posted averages of 16 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3 blocks as a rookie last year, is a prime bet to attract NCAA scouts as well.

Just like Sotto who isn't forgoing his education at all as the NBA G League has partnered with Arizona State University for its players to pursue schooling.