Jomel Puno has been a revelation for San Beda University in the NCAA Season 99 men's basketball tournament, consistently putting together double-double outings in the past week.
With Puno showing off his skills on both ends, the Red Lions rose up to claim the solo second spot in the team standings at 7-2 behind league-leading Mapua University (8-1).
His efforts were enough to be named the Collegiate Press Corps NCAA Player of the Week, beating Mapua’s Clint Escamis, Jose Rizal University’s Marwin Dionisio, EAC’s Ralph Robin, and College of Saint Benilde’s Robi Nayve for the weekly honors.
The Filipino-Canadian is one of the main reasons why San Beda is riding on a stellar four-game winning streak and going perfect in the previous week where the Red Lions beat Perpetual, San Sebastian, and EAC--all of which saw Puno drop double-double performances.
Against the ALTAs, Puno churned out 12 points and 17 rebounds to steer them to a 62-60 comeback win before he put up 16 markers and 11 boards against the Stags.
To cap off what has been a scorching week for him, Puno listed 11 points and 12 rebounds against the Generals as they went 3-0 in Week 4.
But for coach Yuri Escueta, Puno can bring more to the table in the second round.
“Jom playing as a 3 is always an advantage for us. His activity in crashing the boards, his length and athleticism is an advantage for us,” the second-year coach said.
“That’s the reason why we took him and he knows it. We think it’s a blessing for the basketball community for him to go to San Beda instead of other schools. I’m sure he can do more.”
Puno, on the other hand, said his performances were all due to his readiness to contribute for the Red Lions.
“I just know my role coming into a game. I do whatever it takes to win. I really focused on positioning myself and time my rebounds just to help my team out.”
—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News
