Aguilar shows only flashes of his brilliance

Lanky 6’9” Japeth Aguilar provided a glimpse of his talent, debuting for the Powerade-Team Pilipinas with eight points, six rebounds, four blocked shots and a steal in a 100-94 victory by the hosts over the visiting Soldiers for Christ missionaries at The Arena Thursday evening.

Aguilar, who jammed a finger in his left hand during a grapple for the ball in the final minutes of the game, was then pulled out by coach Yeng Guiao after 24 minutes of action.

“We need to put him in his element. He’s feeling out the game, he’s feeling out his teammates. I think we just have to instill the kind of mentality to be dominant. As of now, physically he can dominate but in his mind, he’s kind of shy about it and he must probably exert more effort in making his presence felt especially at the low post,” Guiao said.

Aguilar was especially impressive in the first quarter, where he swatted away three shots, providing a glimpse of a future anchored on his defensive capabilities. He then wound up his game with a three-point play and a couple of free throws.

Burger King reinforcements and future RP team aspirants Wynne Arboleda, Mark Yee and 22-year-old Beau Belga showed Aguilar what the Whopper, his likely teammates, are made of.

Guiao has made it clear that when he names his no. 1 draft pick in the Philippine Basketball Association Annual Draft at Market! Market!, there’s only one name on his mind—Aguilar.

An anxious and excited Peter Aguilar, Japeth’s father, who played for the Northern Consolidated national team of Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco, spoke to www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports and inquired how his son fared, and whether Guiao and his teammates as well as the fans, were happy.