Jose Rizal University received a shot in the arm after securing the commitment of two Negrense standouts in John Loyd Martinez and Shannon Sealey.
JRU head coach Louie Gonzales welcomed the pair on Monday as the Heavy Bombers look to pick up where they left off from last NCAA Season 99 where they ended with a 10-8 record.
Martinez and Sealey both saw action for Bacolod Trinity Christian School and were part of the squad that saw action in the 2024 National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) for Trinity-Davies Paint.
The 19-year-old, 6-foot-1 Martinez led the school in scoring in the NBTC Visayas Regionals and made an even bigger impact during the National Finals, where he posted 14.3 points on 37-percent shooting from the field, to go with 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals.
Sealey, on the other hand, is a 19-year-old center who stands 6-foot-4. He showed his worth in the Nationals where he ranked second in boards with his 11.7 rebounds, and third in rejections with 2.3 blocks, to go with 9.0 points and 2.0 steals.
Martinez and Sealey will bolster an intact JRU core that features veterans Agem Miranda, Joshua Guiab, and Marwin Dionisio.
—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News
