Jett ready for take off

MANILA, Philippines — Former UP star Jett Manuel is more anxious than excited about the PBA draft at Robinsons Place Manila tomorrow but there’s no doubt in his mind that he’s ready to make the big leap to the pros.

Manuel, 25, had actually applied for the draft last year. The 6-0 1/2, 191-pound guard withdrew after finding out he would lose eligibility in the Fighting Maroons’ last few games of the campaign if it pushed through. No regrets, said Manuel, because his last game with UP to close the season turned out to be the most memorable in his varsity career. “We lost to UE, 79-67, in a no-bearing contest but in the end, I looked up at the UP crowd, all the way to the rafters, cheering, applauding, saying thanks for never giving up,” he recalled. “I cried and my heart swelled.”

Manuel then took a year off from basketball to focus on the board exams for civil engineering. “It’s nice to hear I’m the first licensed civil engineer to apply for the draft,” he said. “I hope it inspires others to realize something like this is possible to do. Once I get to the PBA, I don’t expect to do an 8 to 5 job. My priority will be basketball. But I’ll try to continue helping out in our family business of logistics and cement dealership. I won’t practice being a civil engineer per se but at least, our family business is construction-related.”

Author: Joaquin Henson, Philippine Star
Full Article: http://www.philstar.com/sports/2017/10/28/1753317/jett-ready-take