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Friday, March 29, 2024

Paras chooses Creighton University

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KOBE Paras, the 6’6” slam-dunking, 18-year-old son of former PBA Rookie of the Year  and Most Valuable Player Benjie Paras has picked Creighton University in Omaha.

After initially being introduced to his teammates in University of California, Los Angeles, Paras was inexplicably scuttled by the Admission Department, claiming that the Filipino failed to make the grade, even though he had already surpassed the national grade and was eligible to play for any other NCAA Division 1 college.

Kobe Paras

Paras was set to play for the UCLA Bruins, until it was revealed that “academic conditions of his admission” were not met.

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Coached by Greg McDermott, father of Chicago Bull’s Doug McDermott,  Creighton finished last season with a 20-15 record, going 9-9 within their conference, the Big East. The team lost in round one of the Big East tourney and made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the NIT, before falling to Brigham Young University. They last made the US NCAA March Madness Tournament in 2014, the final season of Doug McDermott. 

According to Kobe’s dad Benjie, he checked out colleges in Oregon with his handler, but eventually “decided to play for Creighton University in Omaha.” 

Basketball pundits believe Kobe will be tested by the big-name teams in the Big East Conference and his game is certain to grow playing for Creighton.

Benjie told The Standard that Kobe, who finished his junior year playing for Cathedral High School, had several college teams showing interest in the high-flying Filipino, who had won the FIBA 3×3 Slam Dunk contest in Jakarta with a spectacular series of dunks.

Aside from UCLA, other schools that showed interest in Paras were Fresno State University and Arizona State University. Also showing keen interest in Paras were UC Irvine, California and UT-Arlington.

“This is their style,” Benjie said, adding schools go public with players they’d like to recruit. “Kobe is working very hard and is subject to a tight schedule. He concentrates on his studies, makes sure he follows a proper diet and trains hard.”

The Los Angeles Times reported that Paras’ coach William Middlebrooks said: “Kobe was very excited, about UCLA’s interest in him but the Admission Department’s refusal to accept his grades which were above the national average was a major disappointment.”  

Paras competed in the FIBA 3×3 World Championships in Indonesia and while his team failed to make it in the Under 18 competition, Paras won the Slam Dunk contest in spectacular fashion, beating taller and older players from Spain and the United States.

Some of the toughest schools in the Big East Conference include Villanova, Xavier, Seton Hall, Providence, Georgetown, Marquette and Butler, among others.

Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska. Its mascot is Billy The Bluejay and its colors blue.

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