Why departing NU stars Abadiano, Tamayo, Quiambao are top prospects

After starring for the NU Bullpups, blue-chip recruits Gerry Abadiano, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao are all headed to different schools as they make the jump to the collegiate ranks.

Abadiano and Tamayo will play for the UP Fighting Maroons, while Quiambao will see action for the La Salle Green Archers.

Based on how they performed for the Bullpups, it’s no wonder why other teams pulled out all the stops to acquire their services.

Quiambao tops the National Basketball Training Center rankings of top high school prospects in the UAAP, while Tamayo and Abadiano occupy the No. 3 and No. 12 spots, respectively.

Let’s take a deeper look at why these prospects are highly regarded and how they can contribute to their new teams at the next level.

Gerry Abadiano: Tenacious scorer

Abadiano, a 5-foot-11 point guard, relies more on his physicality than craftiness – when he makes his way inside the paint, he puts his shoulders down and defenders just bounce off him.

In the juniors level, he’s shown that he’s capable of consistently sinking jump shots off the dribble:

However, in the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, opposing defenses went under the screen in the pick-and-roll, where he promptly struggled with his shot. He needs to polish his pull-up game.

With the glut of ball handlers in UP led by Kobe Paras and Ricci Rivero, he must drain catch-and-shoot jumpers on a more consistent basis.

On the defensive end, he’s able to ward off drives with his strength. However, he has a tendency to be vacuumed away by huge screens. He also loses track of his man off the ball from time to time.

His dribbling and playmaking need work. His dribble is way too high and he picks up his dribble way too easily against pressure.

When he makes his aggressive drives towards the hoop, he gets tunnel vision, driving into traffic without making the pass to the open man:

Abadiano has a little bit of Patrick Beverley in the way he approaches the game. Like Beverley, Abadiano doesn’t act as a traditional point guard. He’s not a dynamic playmaker or ball handler.

However, he is a ferocious floor general, with a penchant for physical play on both ends of the floor. He just needs to polish his outside shooting so he can be a better threat off the ball especially as he shares the court with other ball handlers.

Carl Tamayo: Next Ranidel de Ocampo?

Fans of the Fighting Maroons should be jumping for joy upon the arrival of Tamayo, a 6-foot-8 big man. He’s undoubtedly the best prospect among his Bullpup teammates, and it’s not difficult to see why.

Tamayo’s combination of size, shooting, rebounding, and defensive instincts is rarely seen in a Philippine college recruit.

He shows potential as a reliable pick-and-pop big man in the mold of Gilas Pilipinas legend Ranidel de Ocampo, which will be vital in providing spacing for Paras, Rivero, and Bright Akhuetie.

In the 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup, he torched New Zealand to the tune of 24 points and 12 rebounds, where he made defenses pay off the pick and pop:

Much like De Ocampo back in his heyday, Tamayo also has the ability to attack closeouts, finishing at the rim with a soft touch.

When he gets position, he can either bully his way into the rim with his strength or cleverly maneuver his way around the defense with nimble footwork.

Tamayo, however, can be extremely reliant on his perimeter game. There are games where he settles for too many outside shots. He needs to be more consistent with his jumper.

His reading of the game on the defensive end is impressive, for any age, let alone a 19-year-old. Look how he anticipates the backdoor cut for a steal:

He closes out on shooters with discipline and doesn’t bite on pump fakes.

Big men in the collegiate level will find it difficult to dislodge Tamayo in the post, as he reads and reacts to moves well.

His lateral quickness is the game changer. He can switch on to ball handlers effectively, matching them stride for stride.

Although Tamayo is smart defensively, he struggles to defend elite interior finishers with his lack of lateral and vertical explosiveness:

Nonetheless, Tamayo is as complete a high school prospect there is. He’s a high-IQ, do-it-all big man, and if he can carry over the production he’s showed so far, he can be the ideal frontcourt partner for Akhuetie and a potential cornerstone for future Gilas lineups.

Kevin Quiambao: Sweet-shooting big man

There are some similarities between the games of Quiambao, a 6-foot-8 center, and Green Archer stalwart Justine Baltazar.

Quiambao lives in the perimeter more so than Baltazar, and for good reason. Quiambao has shown that he is money on catch-and-shoot looks from midrange and from deep:

His fondness for effective no-look passes shows that he has a distinct flair when playmaking:

The La Salle recruit struggles to create his own shot, both from the perimeter and in the interior. He doesn’t have the best of moves in the paint. He needs to improve his touch around the basket, especially as he will come up against bigger and taller defenders.

His best asset is his defensive solidity in the post. In the UAAP Season 81 Finals against the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eaglets, he was crucial in making life difficult for NBA G League-bound Kai Sotto:

He also has good defensive instincts protecting the rim. He’s able to recover from a pump fake and block the shot:

Much like his frontcourt partner Tamayo, Quiambao’s defensive versatility makes him a top two-way prospect. His low center of gravity makes him tough to move in the post and he also has the speed to hedge and disrupt the opposing ball handler.

The main difference between Quiambao and Baltazar is rebounding. Baltazar uses his long frame to dominate the glass, as evidenced by his 25-rebound game against the NU Bulldogs last season. 

Despite averaging 9.7 rebounds in a 16-0 season, Quiambao struggles vertically to snag rebounds and he gets pushed way too easily out of position.

Overall, Quiambao has all the makings of a well-rounded big man whose shooting and defensive IQ is perfect for the modern game. But for him to reach his ceiling, he needs to iron out his interior game and rebounding, which will both be more challenging at the next level. – Jedd Pagaduan/Rappler.com