Former UP Fighting Maroon JD Cagulangan just wrapped up his first professional stint overseas with the Suwon KT Sonicboom in the KBL, wherre he also won Rookie of the Year.
JD Cagulangan had nothing but good things to say about his first foray into professional basketball, after wrapping up his season with Korean Basketball League side Suwon KT Sonicboom.
Cagulangan, who won KBL Rookie of the Year, joined Suwon in the middle of the season but made his presence immediately felt, orchestrating the offense for his team.
[RELATED: JD Cagulangan wins KBL Rookie of the Year for Suwon KT Sonicboom]
Though exiting the playoffs in the semifinals after a loss against the Seoul SK Knights, Cagulangan said that it was a good experience, especially after being treated to Koreans’ hospitality as one of the foreign players in the league.
“It was fun because mae-experience mo 'yung style of play nila and nagustuhan ko rin 'yung home and away game nila,” Cagulangan told One Sports.
“So ayun, 'yung culture nila, 'yung paano sila mag-welcome ng mga bisita, I mean, sobrang saya. I know hindi siya ganon kaganda [yung ending], pero masaya pa rin namin.”
Despite going into the team already halfway through the season, Cagulangan ended up impressing in his first year, which earned him an award outright with the Rookie of the Year plum. Admittedly, he was caught off guard.
“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to win the Rookie of the Year because I’m a local [here], then pumasok ako in the middle of the season. So wala talaga, wala sa isip ko na mananalo ako ng ganon,” he said.
“Good thing, binigay sa akin, and thankful ako. Grateful ako sa kung anong experience ko,” he added.
Despite his early success, Cagulangan is putting himself up to a higher standard.
Expected to head back to Korea for a second year with the Sonicboom, the two-time UAAP champion is eager to flesh things out in his career more, and hopefully get better results with his team this time around.
“[I’m looking for] more consistency, and yung feel ng game don. Of course, yung weather kasi iba. [But] I know dahan dahan makukuha naman namin,” he said.