MANILA — Three young basketball hopefuls from Cebu made it to the top 10 of the recently concluded 2011 Jr. NBA Philippines Program at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Miguel Kristoffer Competente, Dawn Hynric Ochea and Rendell Thomas Senining from Cebu survived the camp and gained the chance to watch a live NBA game and play against a counterpart Jr. NBA team.

Joining them are Manila standouts Jarrell Lim, Lorenzo Fernando Navarro, Kobe Lorenzo Paras, Ferdinand Ravena III, Alfred Sajulga, Justin Oliver Serrano and Tsaddy John Tabaldo.

The top 10 were picked from a group of 50 junior players aged 10-14, who topped their respective regional selection camps last March and made it to the National Training Camp held at La Salle Green Hills and the SM Mall of Asia.

The young cagers had three days of boot camp – basketball drills, skills tests, stamina challenges, competitive games and fun games with NBA Legend AC Green, NBA Asia Head of Basketball Operations Jama Mahlalela, Alaska assistant coach and former PBA star Jojo Lastimosa, among others.

“We know this is just once in a lifetime and we value the experience. We know we will become better persons after this camp - not just a good basketball player,” said Senining of University of San Jose-Recoletos, who at 5-foot-5 is the shortest player in the All Star squad. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)