By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Following their collegiate stacked acquisitions, the University of the Philippines Integrated School Junior Maroons also got themselves a prized recruit.
Hailing from Pontevedra, Negros Occidental, Heinz Gabriel “Kobe” Demisana caught their scouts’ eye and was immediately granted a varsity stint with the school.
The 6’8’’ superstar center of the Bacolod Tay Tung Thunderbolts was one of the top-tier recruits in the high school category and luckily, the UPIS got the better hand out of the others.
Described as the Nikola Jokic of high school basketball in Western Visayas, Demisana once made it to the Asia Pacific selection during the Jr. NBA Global Championship in Orlando, Florida.
Demisana’s impressive outing in the recently concluded NBTC Western Visayas Regional Finals was key in boosting his recruitment stock, taking down coach John Guanco’s St. Robert’s International Academy in the finals.
People from Ibajay, Aklan went crazy in one of the most thrilling basketball games they witnessed after Demisana led the Thunderbolts in a comeback win against the Guanco-led squad.
Trailing 8-22 in the first quarter, Demisana spearheaded the Tay Tung rally by imposing his will underneath and dishing out extra passes to his corner shooters.
Tay Tung then stomped over St. Robert’s and had a surge of their own in the second half to eventually win and clinch the title, 89-77.
Demisana’s addition to the lineup of UPIS will be a needed boost after the squad faltered to a 1-13 record last UAAP Juniors season
