Japeth Aguilar
Encyclopedia
Japeth Paul C. Aguilar better known as Japeth Aguilar born in Pampanga
, Philippines
, is a Filipino
basketball
player. He recently played for Smart Gilas
, and will play for the Talk N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association
. He first played collegiately for the Ateneo Blue Eagles
in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, but after two seasons, he moved to the Western Kentucky University
Hilltoppers in the Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
in the United States
.
Aguilar's father, Peter Aguilar, was a former professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association
.
for the Ateneo de Manila University
Blue Eagles
in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines in 2004
. However, his first season stint was cut short due to appendicitis
, but still managed to score 13 points, grab 11 rebounds and block 10 shots in 55 minutes of action in 10 games.
On his sophomore year, he bounced back from a disappointing first season as he averaged 15.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots per contest to help lead the Blue Eagles to an 11-5 finish in 2005. He scored in double digits on three occasions, while he just missed a double-double twice after posting nine points and a career-best 10 boards in Ateneo’s season opener as well as 10 points and eight rebounds later in the year in a win over Far Eastern University
. Aguilar shot a high 55.4 percent from the field for the season, and he was credited with multiple blocks in 12 of the Blue Eagles’ 16 games — that included a career high of seven as well as two other contest with five or more. He led the University Athletic Association of the Philippines in rejections during his sophomore season, with a total of 48 blocks in 16 games.
, where he saw action with the Hilltoppers mostly as a bench-warmer. He entered the NCAA as a junior (third year) in 2007. During the season he posted 28 points, 18 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 assists in 32 minutes of play before being sidelined by a stress fracture
in his left foot. Aguilar saw some minor improvements in his game with a total of 71 minutes on the field and an avg of 5.1 minutes per game he posted 21 points, while grabbing a total of 12 rebounds with 5 blocks, and 2 steals. However, he was inactive for the first half of the season after he suffered another stress fracture.
-coached Powerade Team Pilipinas that participated in the 2009 Fiba Asia Championship for Men
held in Tianjin, China. He was sparingly used by Guiao in that tournament. Nevertheless, the apparent lack of skill in the upcoming draft along with the hype that accompanied him during his tenure in the United States, projected him to be the first pick overall in the 2009 PBA Draft
.
Pilipinas developmental basketball program coached by Serbia
n Rajko Toroman
, a move which caused controversy within the PBA and angst especially by the team that drafted him. Its governor, Lito Alvarez, even went to the extent of banning Aguilar from the league for his refusal to sign with the Whoppers.
An amicable settlement was reached on October 9, 2009, two days before the 35th PBA season
. With SBP prexy Manny Pangilinan
and executive director Noli Eala
intervening and at Alvarez's behest, Aguilar signed the one-year contract with the Whoppers, which included him playing for a few games with them then he would be traded to Talk N Text Tropang Texters (Pangilinan's PBA team) which would then release him to Smart Gilas as he wanted. Alvarez even said that before Aguilar signed their conract, the former already has had the latter's No.18 uniform with the Whoppers made.
Aguilar played his only professional game with the Whoppers against the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants in the PBA season opener, which ended in a 93-80 loss to the Giants. Immediately after, Aguilar got his wish as the Whoppers traded him to the Tropang Texters in exchange for future draft picks, indirectly through Barako Bull Energy Boosters which acted as the conduit team. As expected, TNT loaned him to Smart Gilas where he will stay there until after the 2012 London Olympics as per his Gilas contract.
and Chris Bosh
Pampanga
Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Pampanga is bordered by the provinces of Bataan and Zambales to the west, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the north, and Bulacan to the southeast...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, is a Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He recently played for Smart Gilas
Smart Gilas
Smart Gilas Pilipinas is a developmental Philippine national basketball team sponsored by Smart Communications and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas...
, and will play for the Talk N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
. He first played collegiately for the Ateneo Blue Eagles
Ateneo Blue Eagles
The Ateneo Blue Eagles is the name of the collegiate men's varsity basketball team of the Ateneo de Manila University that plays in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the premiere sports league in the country. The collegiate women's varsity basketball team is called the Lady...
in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, but after two seasons, he moved to the Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
Hilltoppers in the Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Aguilar's father, Peter Aguilar, was a former professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
.
UAAP career
Aguilar suited up as a college freshmanFreshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
for the Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
Blue Eagles
Ateneo Blue Eagles
The Ateneo Blue Eagles is the name of the collegiate men's varsity basketball team of the Ateneo de Manila University that plays in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the premiere sports league in the country. The collegiate women's varsity basketball team is called the Lady...
in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines in 2004
UAAP Season 67
UAAP Season 67 is the 2004-2005 season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, which was hosted by De La Salle University-Manila. The season opened on July 10, 2004-Elimination round:Host team in boldface.-Bracket:...
. However, his first season stint was cut short due to appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
, but still managed to score 13 points, grab 11 rebounds and block 10 shots in 55 minutes of action in 10 games.
On his sophomore year, he bounced back from a disappointing first season as he averaged 15.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots per contest to help lead the Blue Eagles to an 11-5 finish in 2005. He scored in double digits on three occasions, while he just missed a double-double twice after posting nine points and a career-best 10 boards in Ateneo’s season opener as well as 10 points and eight rebounds later in the year in a win over Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University in the University Belt area, West Sampaloc, City of Manila, is a nonsectarian, private university in the Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance, FEU became a university in 1934 under the guidance of...
. Aguilar shot a high 55.4 percent from the field for the season, and he was credited with multiple blocks in 12 of the Blue Eagles’ 16 games — that included a career high of seven as well as two other contest with five or more. He led the University Athletic Association of the Philippines in rejections during his sophomore season, with a total of 48 blocks in 16 games.
NCAA Division I Career
Aguilar later transferred to Western Kentucky UniversityWestern Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
, where he saw action with the Hilltoppers mostly as a bench-warmer. He entered the NCAA as a junior (third year) in 2007. During the season he posted 28 points, 18 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 assists in 32 minutes of play before being sidelined by a stress fracture
Stress fracture
A stress fracture is one type of incomplete fracture in bones. It is caused by "unusual or repeated stress" and also heavy continuous weight on the ankle or leg...
in his left foot. Aguilar saw some minor improvements in his game with a total of 71 minutes on the field and an avg of 5.1 minutes per game he posted 21 points, while grabbing a total of 12 rebounds with 5 blocks, and 2 steals. However, he was inactive for the first half of the season after he suffered another stress fracture.
Powerade Team Pilipinas
After his stint with the Hilltoppers, Aguilar returned to the Philippines without much fanfare mostly due to his dismal performance in the United States. Nonetheless, he decided to suit up for the Yeng GuiaoYeng Guiao
Joseller "Yeng" Guiao is a Filipino professional basketball head coach for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association, and was also the head coach of the Philippine National Basketball Team. Guiao won four PBA titles since starting his head coaching job for Swift in...
-coached Powerade Team Pilipinas that participated in the 2009 Fiba Asia Championship for Men
FIBA Asia Championship 2009
The 2009 FIBA Asia Championship for Men was the biennial Asian continental championship and also served as the FIBA Asia qualifying tournament for the 2010 FIBA World Championship. The tournament was held from August 6 to 16, 2009 in Tianjin, China....
held in Tianjin, China. He was sparingly used by Guiao in that tournament. Nevertheless, the apparent lack of skill in the upcoming draft along with the hype that accompanied him during his tenure in the United States, projected him to be the first pick overall in the 2009 PBA Draft
2009 PBA Draft
The 2009 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft is an event, which allows teams to draft players from the amateur ranks. The event was held at Market! Market! in Taguig City on August 2, 2009. The Burger King Whoppers selected Japeth Aguilar of the Ateneo de Manila University and Western...
.
PBA and Smart Gilas
As expected, the Burger King Whoppers nabbed Aguilar as its overall No.1 draft pick in the 2009 PBA Draft; however days after the draft, he boldly declared that he would join the Smart GilasSmart Gilas
Smart Gilas Pilipinas is a developmental Philippine national basketball team sponsored by Smart Communications and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas...
Pilipinas developmental basketball program coached by Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n Rajko Toroman
Rajko Toroman
Rajko Toroman is a Serbian professional basketball coach. He is currently the Philippines National Team Project Director for Basketball having been hired by country’s basketball federation Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas...
, a move which caused controversy within the PBA and angst especially by the team that drafted him. Its governor, Lito Alvarez, even went to the extent of banning Aguilar from the league for his refusal to sign with the Whoppers.
An amicable settlement was reached on October 9, 2009, two days before the 35th PBA season
2009–10 PBA season
The 2009–10 PBA Season was the 35th season of the Philippine Basketball Association . The season formally opened on October 11, 2009 and ended on August 18, 2010...
. With SBP prexy Manny Pangilinan
Manuel V. Pangilinan
Manuel V Pangilinan , also known as Manny Pangilinan and MVP, is a Filipino businessman. He is the Chairman of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, from 1998 up to the present....
and executive director Noli Eala
Noli Eala
Jose Emmanuel M. Eala, better known as Noli Eala, was the sixth commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association from 2003 to 2007. Before he became the commissioner of the league, he was a play-by-play commentator of Viva-Vintage Sports, which broadcasts the PBA Games, from the early 1990s...
intervening and at Alvarez's behest, Aguilar signed the one-year contract with the Whoppers, which included him playing for a few games with them then he would be traded to Talk N Text Tropang Texters (Pangilinan's PBA team) which would then release him to Smart Gilas as he wanted. Alvarez even said that before Aguilar signed their conract, the former already has had the latter's No.18 uniform with the Whoppers made.
Aguilar played his only professional game with the Whoppers against the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants in the PBA season opener, which ended in a 93-80 loss to the Giants. Immediately after, Aguilar got his wish as the Whoppers traded him to the Tropang Texters in exchange for future draft picks, indirectly through Barako Bull Energy Boosters which acted as the conduit team. As expected, TNT loaned him to Smart Gilas where he will stay there until after the 2012 London Olympics as per his Gilas contract.
Playing style
Many critics said that his playing style were the same as Yi JianlianYi Jianlian
Yi Jianlian is a Chinese professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers. He has also played in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and Washington Wizards. Yi played power forward for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2002 and...
and Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association ....