Top 5 Underrated NCAA Players of the 2010s

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has produced some of the brightest hoop stars of the 2010s and most of them are now champions in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). However, there are some instances in basketball wherein no matter how great you are in bringing in your A-game every single time, some people will always find reasons to underestimate you or your contributions to the game and the players below are just some of the underrated NCAA players of the last decade. 

He may have failed to win a single championship during his stint with the Letran Knights but in the minds of the Letran faithful, Kevin Alas is among those who played the best in a Letran uniform. After a heartbreak-filled career in the juniors' division, Alas saw his market value rose as multiple schools not just in the NCAA but in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)  were said to be interested in acquiring his services. In the end, Kevin Alas decided to stay put the Knights who he led to two straight trips to the NCAA Finals in Season 87 and Season 88 where they lost to the San Beda Red Lions on both occasions. He was included in the Mythical Team on both occasions. After all, he once scored 43 points in the seniors' division but for some reason, people tend to forget how great Kevin Alas was a point guard during his stint wearing the shiny armor of the Knights. 

Another player of the Knights who people tend to underestimate in the last decade is Bonbon Batiller. Batiller didn't even begin his collegiate career in the NCAA as he started off as a player of the University of the East Red Warriors in the UAAP before jumping to the other side after an unfruitful UAAP stint. And that switch paid off for Batiller as he went on to become of the unsung heroes of the Knights' championship run in last year's Season 95. While Fran Yu may have taken home the Finals MVP award in that championship slugfest against the San Beda Red Lions, it was Batiller along with Jerrick Ballanza, who provided the help for the Knights to complete the unforgettable run to the top last year. And yet, most people remembered him as the player of UE who couldn't win a thing. 

Speaking of the Red Lions, they may own the record for the most number of NCAA championships won along with producing some of the talented basketball stars of today but they too had players back in the last decade who people were believed to be underrated even back then. Among those players is Baser Amer. Can you believe that Amer led the league in assists per game in his rookie season? He averaged four assists per contest despite being a back-up point guard and he also won the Finals MVP plum in 2012 despite coming off the bench. He finished his NCAA career with four NCAA championships, And yet, many pundits seem to forget how great he was during his stint in San Beda. 

A Defensive Player of the Year awardee back in Season 87. An MVP award in Season 88. An NCAA championship back in Season 85. That's what Ian Sangalang has accomplished while playing for the San Sebastian Stags. However, not everybody appreciated Sangalang's ability to stand toe-to-toe against some of the best big men during his time in the NCAA and that's something that he has been doing in the PBA since 2013. While Ian Sangalang may be lanky for his position back then, he turned out to be one of the promising big men of Philippine basketball today.

But perhaps, one of the guards who were underrated in the last decade is Carlo Lastimosa who played for the De La Salle University-College of St. Benilde Blazers. To start off, the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers were willing to absorb him after Lastimosa was released by Ateneo due to academic inefficiencies but he decided to go and play for the Blazers. He became the team's leading scorer right in his first season on his way towards winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2010. And while he didn't have a successful career with the Blazers and later on, in the PBA, he is making a name for himself as he one of the big stars of the Metro Stars in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

As they say, you cannot please everybody no matter how great you were on the court during your college days. But for the players mentioned above and more, they have proven those who underestimated them in the past wrong. Alas is looking to regain his old self after recovering from the injuries that made him miss a big chunk of his young PBA career. Bataller is ready for his rookie season in the PBA while Amer is one of Norman Black's trusted guards. Ian Sangalang is looking to make his mark as the next best big man in the professional ranks while the rest of the MPBL will have to defend Lastimosa for a couple of years and guarding him has been a headache. 

In other words, those players who were underrated in the past proved that they can make a name for themselves whether it's in the PBA or in the MPBL. 

As an old saying goes, "Never judge a book by its cover."

Photo is from SLAMonline