The retooling of the roster of the two-time Cesafi runners-up University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors continues as they try to reach the mountaintop of Cebu’s collegiate basketball scene.This time, two Filipino-Americans (Fil-Ams) who are currently playing high school varsity ball in the Los Angeles City area have expressed their utmost desire to try out for a slot on the men’s basketball team, in the hopes of becoming the final pieces to USC’s championship puzzle. James Michael Poblete is a 6-foot-2 player who is multi-faceted enough to play small forward, center and the power forward position. He was once in the junior varsity roster of the Artesia High School in Lakewood, California and has been reported to be capable of bruising play down low as well as good rebounding and shotblocking numbers. His parents hail from Cavite. The other is 5-foot-10 Benjamin Belong, who also hails from the same school but is on the main varsity squad, whose father comes from Ilocos and his mother from Bataan. Solid at the point guard slot, Belong hopes to make it into the Warriors squad which is in dire need of perimeter help following the completion of star guard Nino Ramirez’ playing years. The possible addition of the two Fil-Ams to the USC roster brings their Fil-Am player total to four with Guam’s JP Cruz and Alfred Vitug already in Cebu training with the team. They are also awaiting the arrival of prospective guards Christopher Chinn from Dixon, North Carolina, who is expected to be in Cebu later this month, and PJ Estorque, from Melbourne, Australia, who is set to arrive later this year. Poblete and Belong plans to come to Cebu right after graduation and are awaiting the University of San Carlos Warriors' invitation letter as of the moment. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio | 
