The Adventures of Super Bitoy continues

Super Bitoy: Proof that hard work pays off

Four games into the Commissioner's Cup and Air21's small forward Nelbert "Bitoy" Omolon is starting to turn heads with a couple of solid performances. Granted, his numbers took a hit in losses versus Petron and Bmeg after a sterling debut against Barako Bull, but Omolon quickly turned things around by leading the Express to a surprising 89-78 victory over the lethargic defending champions, Talk 'n' Text.

Being a long time Santa Lucia fan, seeing Omolon follow in the successful steps of ex-Realtors Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes of Talk 'n' Text and Joseph Yeo and Denok Miranda (who has established himself as the Wyne Arboleda of this generation) of Petron is a joy to hear. Not only is one of the more solid contributors of Santa Lucia's last title squad playing big minutes, but he is now enjoying time in the limelight after years of hard work and adjusting his game to fit the PBA style of play.


A brief history lesson new fans of Super Bitoy, he was drafted to play the small forward position in the superstar team that Santa Lucia was hoping to build during the early 2000s. Paolo Mendoza, Kenneth Duremdes, Dennis Espino and Marlou Aquino-- Omolon was the guy who was envisioned to serve as the Tayshaun Prince of that group akin to the 2004 NBA champion Detroit Pistons.

Sadly, Omolon failed to live up to expectations and practically vanished in the rotation after failing to make the transition from an athletic, do-it-all power forward in college to a small forward who is expected to cover the perimeter.

Though it took time for Omolon to find his niche in the league-- as a serviceable drop pass option in the paint and lockdown one on one defender/ stopper, it couldn't have come at a better time and in a better scenario.

With Air21, Omolon cancels out the unnecessary theatrics of Ogie Menor who is an undersized small foward whose best years were spent in San Beda high school. He is long, athletic and versatile-- just the right tools any coach would want from the position.

What's even better for Super Bitoy is that he has a young group of "Super Friends" such as RJ Jazul (who is a Roger Yap in the making), Isip (an undersized workhorse in the shaded lane) and former UAAP Finals MVP Jojo Duncil (who is as solid and clutch as they come, but just don't expect him to carry teams all the time). Add the veteran savvy and experience of import Marcus Douthit and coaching brilliance of Franz Pumaren and you are looking at  a great future not only for Air21 but for Omolon as well.

How solid was Super Bitoy's numbers against the likes of TNT's Ranidel de Ocampo, Jarred Dillinger and Larry Fonacier? 23 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks lang naman.