Blackwater is bringing in a versatile import in a bid to make a serious run in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup next month.
Bossing head coach Ariel Vanguardia said they have already reached a deal with Cameron Krutwig, a 6-foot-9 slotman who led Loyola-Chicago to the Final Four in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2018.
Vanguardia said Krutwig will be arriving on Sunday and will attend a couple of training sessions before joining them in a series of friendly matches starting with Bay Area Dragons on 17 August.
“He will arrive on Sunday. He’ll play on Wednesday (against the Dragons) and hopefully we can play NLEX for a tune-up to test him,” Vanguardia said.
“He is a legitimate five (center) who can run the floor, who can pass. He’s more of a point-center, very different from other imports who played here before.”
The 23-year-old slotman gained national attention after leading the Ramblers to the NCAA Final Four in which he emerged as the third most important collegiate player in the country behind Luka Garza of Iowa and Drew Timme of Gonzaga.
He has an old-school approach and was reported to be a very skilled player with a strong passing game and high basketball IQ.
After going undrafted in the National Basketball Association draft in 2019, he opened his professional career with Telenet Giants Antwerp in Belgium Pro Basketball League in 2021, averaging 7.6 rebounds and 4.8 rebounds last season.
Krutwig will face an acid test in their buildup as the Bossing clashes with French club Asvel Lyon in an exhibition match on 4 September.
Blackwater was supposed to join an invitational tournament in Dubai, but the event is likely to be scrapped due to a Covid-19 incident abroad.
“His presence will be a big addition for us, it will ease the pressure from (Brandon) Rosser since (Yousef) Taha is out. We’ll see a different style of basketball,” Vanguardia said.