UP completes recruitment of Carroll College’s Chicco Briones

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The scouting department of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons once again displayed its effectiveness after securing the commitment of six-foot-six guard Chicco Briones from Carroll College–Montana.

Chicco, the son of former PBA player Lowell Briones, will sit out the ongoing UAAP Season 84 men’s basketball tournament and will become eligible soon as UAAP Season 86 kicks off.

Upon transferring from Carroll College, the Fil-Am shooting guard will have to sit out for one year due to UAAP residency rules.

“This has been almost four years in the making. I and some other people have been visiting Chicco for almost four years now,” said former head coach turned into program director Bo Perasol.

The addition of Briones will further fortify their young and promising core together with big man Carl Tamayo, pesky guards Joel Cagulangan and Terrence Fortea, and Ilonggo court general Gerry Abadiano.

UP said that Briones will have five full eligible playing years once he gets activated for Season 86 and will become a huge boost to their already talented pool of players.

Briones will seek to fill in the shoes of superstar Ricci Rivero and stabilizer Noah Webb who will graduate after this season.

“He started practicing with us in Las Vegas, and after that we had at least two more meetings with him and his parents. It’s such a joy to finally culminate this, and what a way to start his playing career here in the Philippines than to be with the UP Fighting Maroons,” added Perasol.

Currently, the Fighting Maroons are off to a decent start in Season 84 and are in solo second place with an impressive 10 wins and two losses record.