The Nocum Mentality: Adrian and Carl Nocum on Faith, Grit, and Building Their Legacy in Basketball

Carl Nocum continues to emerge as one of Lyceum of the Philippines University’s most consistent Pirates in both the Pinoyliga Next Man Cup Season 4 and Collegiate Cup Season 5, turning heads with his steady production and growing confidence on the court.

The young hooper from Tondo recently put together back-to-back 21-point performances against St. Clare College and Our Lady of Fatima University, leading all Pirates in scoring in both battles and further establishing himself as a key piece for LPU.

While his outings have spoken for themselves, Carl's journey has also been strengthened by the support of his family, including older brother Adrian Nocum of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Adrian, former Mapua Cardinal, 2023 MPBL Rookie of the Year and 1x PBA All-Star, is a key cog in the continuous rise of the Elasto Painters revolving mostly around their young guns. Having navigated the same path from collegiate basketball to the professional ranks, Adrian has offered simple but meaningful advice to his younger brother.

“Wala namang sikreto. Sipag, tiyaga, disiplina sa sarili at syempre kailangan mong magdasal palagi,” he shared in an interview last June 7, 2026 during LPU’s game against OLFU.

It is a message rooted in experience rather than shortcuts. For the Nocum brothers, the road to success is never easy but is for sure anchored on family values. And as Carl's recent performances continue to show, those lessons are translating into results.