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RHENZ Abando is deep in talks with another school when he said goodbye to the University of Santo Tomas on Monday.
The Sto. Tomás, a native of La Unión, left the Tigres camp grunting after the controversial Bicol bubble, several sources said. SPIN.ph, in favor of a new school, with Letran at the head.
He tweeted this minutes after news of his departure leaked:
He also posted this on his Instagram page:
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Abando was the team’s second-leading scorer last season, recording 11.7 points on 29 percent shooting from deep, along with 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks as UST reached the 82nd UAAP season finale.
It turned out to be his only season in Spain. You still have two more years of play left if you decide to transfer to a UAAP school, or three more if you join an NCAA team.
Aside from the Abando, the big man Ira Bataller also secured his release from UST, added a source. The bully averaged 1.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists starting 14 of the Growling Tigers’ 18 games.
Bataller became embroiled in controversy when he spoke about the alleged mistreatment he suffered at Sorsogon, claiming that he did not receive adequate care despite suffering abdominal pain during training.
The 22-year-old center was supposed to retire at the end of last week, but had to arrange some necessary documents before securing his release.
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The two are the latest names in the exodus from UST following deposed team captain CJ Cansino, who has already committed to the University of the Philippines, and new senior Brent Paraiso.
Abando, 22, will join a promising Letran team coming off a championship last NCAA 95 season and has built a powerful lineup to remain a legitimate title contender for the foreseeable future.
If ever, his first year at Wall would see him team up with sensational point guard Fran Yu, who will be in his final year for the Knights.
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Letran previously secured the engagements of Chiang Kai Shek’s Rafael Go, Perpetual’s Yuki Kawamura, and National University-Nazareth School’s Jeff Mailim and Jimly Lantaya, but those four pale in comparison to the magnitude that Abando’s transfer can bring to the table.
Abando is no stranger to these transfer talks, finding himself at the center of a coaching controversy when at least two rival UAAP schools tried to remove him from UST mid-season last year.
