Renzo Competente will be seeing action for Far Eastern University in a bid to make it to the Philippine Basketball Association someday.
The 6-foot-2 Competente, a Gilas Youth U16 standout, said joining the Tamaraws is aligned with his goal of playing in the country’s top professional basketball league.
Competente is currently enrolled at Citrus Valley High School in California and will be available for the Tamaraws in Season 86 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.
“I chose FEU because I think it is the one that will help me in my goal of entering the PBA,” said Competente, who played in the 2022 FIBA U16 Asian Championship last June in Doha.
The FEU basketball program is among the topnotch in the country.
In fact, it produced countless stars from Johnny Abarrientos and Vic Pablo to Arwind Santos, Jeff Chan, Terrence Romeo and Roger Pogoy.
Recently, its star playmaker in RJ Abarrientos was given a mouthwatering deal by the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus in the Korean Basketball League.
Although FEU has to wait for one more year, the 17-year-old Competente had shown a lot of promise after posting 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds for the Nationals in the FIBA tourney, where they finished seventh in the 13-team field.
In the 2021-2022 season at Citrus Valley High School, he averaged 15.4 points and 3.4 rebounds as the Blackhawks suffered a 34-55 loss in the first round of the 2022 CIF Southern Section Boys’ Basketball Championships last February against Aquinas High School.
His father, Lloyd Competente, said his son wants to learn discipline from head coach Olsen Racela, who has nine titles in the PBA.
“Coach Olsen told us he needs Renzo and after seeing his recent FIBA performance, he promised exposure for Renzo if he commits,” the elder Competente said.
“With coach Olsen’s credentials, I think he can teach Renzo the discipline he needs to make it into the pros.”