Wikipedia

RK Ilagan

Regille Kent Ilagan (born April 3, 1997) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Blackwater Bossing of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played college basketball for the San Sebastian Stags, where he gained a reputation as one of the best amateur shooters in the country.[1] In the PBA, he is known as a clutch scorer.

RK Ilagan
No. 0 – Blackwater Bossing
PositionPoint guard
LeaguePBA
Personal information
Born (1997-04-03) April 3, 1997 (age 27)
Tondo, Manila, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Listed height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Listed weight150 lb (68 kg)
Career information
High schoolSan Sebastian (Manila)
CollegeSan Sebastian
PBA draft2020: 3rd round, 31st overall[a]
Selected by the Alaska Aces
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2022Alaska Aces
2022Converge FiberXers
2023–presentBlackwater Bossing

Early life

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Ilagan was born in Manila, and raised in Bulacan until Grade 5, when he went back to Manila when his parents gave in to his desire to play varsity basketball.[2]

Ilagan first tried out for the high school team of San Sebastian.[3] After failing to crack that lineup, he tried out for the NU Bullpups, but that didn't work out either.[2] After participating in the Junior NBA program did he finally get to play for the San Sebastian Staglets.[3]

In Season 90, Ilagan had 22 points against the San Beda Red Cubs.[4] He stayed with the Staglets for two years before moving up to the Stags' Team B.[2]

College career

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Ilagan first played for the San Sebastian Stags in NCAA Season 92.[5] In both of their matchups against the Arellano Chiefs, he helped the Stags rally but fell short both times as Arellano won their matchups.[6][7] In the 3-Point Shootout during All-Star festivities, he made it to the final round before losing to San Beda's AC Soberano.[8] After the break, the Stags went on a four-game winning streak, with him hitting seven three pointers for 25 points against the Lyceum Pirates in their fourth straight win.[9] Their streak was broken in a loss to the Letran Knights, in which he only scored one point.[10] San Sebastian finished with a record of 8–10, not making it to the Final Four.[11]

In Season 93, after their opening loss to San Beda, Ilagan contributed nine points and seven rebounds in a win over Arellano.[12] He lost once again in the 3-Point Shootout, this time to Mapua's Almel Olquina.[13] With a shot for a Final Four spot on the line, he had 23 points and five rebounds in a blowout win over the Perpetual Altas.[14][15] His performance trended on Twitter. His teammates Michael Calisaan and Ryan Costelo then scored big in the fourth-seed playoff against Letran to officially make the Final Four for the first time since Season 89.[16] In the first round, they faced the JRU Heavy Bombers.[17] He then unloaded 21 points with five three-pointers against them to move on to the next round. There, their season ended in a loss to the San Beda Red Lions.[18]

In Season 94, Ilagan became one of the veterans of the team, and expectations were that they would contend for the championship that season.[19][20] He had 18 points and four assists against Lyceum, but he fouled out with a technical foul, costing San Sebastian the win. He then got injured in a loss against Arellano with a cut over his right eye, but was still able to finish the game.[21] With his team already struggling, he was then investigated for playing in a "ligang labas".[22] As a result, San Sebastian College suspended him for the rest of the first elimination round.[23] The NCAA also forfeited the Stags' two wins in the first round in which he played in, which sank them to the bottom of the standings.[24] He apologized to his team, and returned with 13 points in a loss to Lyceum.[25] The Stags got a win in a match against the EAC Generals, with him leading the team with 13 points.[26] He then got a career-high 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting with six triples in a blowout win over the Mapúa Cardinals.[27] The Stags then ended their season with a big win over Arellano.[28]

Once again, the Stags were heavy favorites for Season 95.[20] They opened the season with a 31-point blowout victory over JRU, with him leading the team with 25 points built on five treys, to go with five assists, three rebounds, and two steals.[29] Against Mapúa, they scored 30 points in the 2nd quarter for their second straight victory.[30] He scored 20 points, eight assists and four rebounds in that win. However, he was shut down by Lyceum's defense as he was held to 0 points, the first time in his college career.[31] He then scored 22 points and made seven assists in a close win over Letran.[32] Against Arellano he scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as his team went on to get the win.[33] The Stags qualified for the semis once again, where they faced Letran.[34] In that game, he had cramps for majority of the second half, but he fought through it and led a rally from 17 points down to just a one-point deficit.[35] His efforts weren't good enough, as Letran beat them and moved on to the next round. At the end of the game, he had finished with a career-high 36 points (with 13 of them in the fourth quarter) on 7-of-13 shooting from three while also collecting six rebounds and three assists. He finished his season with averages of nearly 16 points a game on 32 percent shooting from the three-point area, four rebounds and four assists per game.[36] He also got to play in that year's All-Star Game.[37]

Before the start of Season 96, Ilagan was set to lead San Sebastian once again.[38] However, those plans were derailed when he decided to forgo his final year in the NCAA.

Professional career

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Alaska Aces (2021–2022)

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Ilagan then confirmed that he would be entering the PBA season 46 draft.[39] He came in as one of the shortest players in that year's draft.[40] Before the draft, he worked out with Rain or Shine and Alaska. He was projected to be a second round pick.[41] However, he found himself slipping to the third round until the Alaska Aces drafted him.[3] Alaska drafted him as the "pure point guard" of the team.[42] He was signed to a one-year contract.[43]

Ilagan made his PBA debut against the Blackwater Bossing, in which he had eight points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the field including two threes in just under two minutes.[44] Days later, he pulled his hamstring, causing him to be out.[45] He returned in a loss to the NLEX Road Warriors.[46] In the Governors' Cup, he earned more of Coach Jeffrey Cariaso's trust.[47] He scored a PBA career-high 11 points in a win against the Meralco Bolts with his last points being a game-winning buzzer-beating mid-range shot. He led the team with a PBA career-high 14 points in a loss to the Magnolia Hotshots.[48]

Converge FiberXers (2022)

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Before the start of the 2022–23 PBA season, Ilagan re-signed with the Converge FiberXers, the franchise that had acquired Alaska, on another one-year deal.[49] Against Magnolia, he made a triple that sent the game into overtime and capped a comeback from 20 points down.[50] Converge was able to get its first win in overtime, and he finished the game with 14 points, four rebounds, and two steals. The next game, against the TNT Tropang Giga, he didn't make any shots until the final 22 seconds of the game, which gave his side an 83–82 lead.[51] On his team's next possession, he had the chance to make it a three-point lead with two free throws, but he missed both shots.[52] TNT guard Jayson Castro was able to win the game for his side on a layup over Ilagan, and Converge sealed their fate by turning it over. Afterwards, Castro consoled him and told him not to lose confidence. In a win against NLEX, he had a career-high 10 assists.[53] He then led Converge to its 2nd straight win a new PBA career-high of 20 points against the NorthPort Batang Pier.[54] They qualified for the Philippine Cup playoffs, where they were eliminated by TNT in the first round.[55] He broke his PBA career-high once again with 22 points in a win over the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters during the PBA Commissioner's Cup.[56]

Blackwater Bossing (2023–present)

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On January 3, 2023, Ilagan, along with Michael DiGregorio and Tyrus Hill, was traded to the Blackwater Bossing for Barkley Eboña and a 2022 first-round pick.[57] During the 2023 PBA All-Star Weekend, he competed in both the Three-Point Shootout and in the Team Greats vs. Team Stalwarts game.[58][59]

In a 2024 Philippine Cup win over TNT, Ilagan stepped up for an injured Rey Nambatac and had a near triple-double with 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds off the bench.[60] He then had 12 points in a win over his former team Converge. With the win, Blackwater started 3–0 and on top of the standings for a brief while.[61] The team then lost five straight and failed to make the playoffs.[62]

PBA career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

As of the end of 2023–24 season[63]

Season-by-season averages

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Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021 Alaska 14 12.7 .327 .172 .882 2.4 1.9 .5 — 3.9
2022–23 Converge 37 17.4 .379 .357 .867 2.3 3.2 .7 — 8.5
Blackwater
2023–24 Blackwater 20 19.1 .419 .322 .875 3.1 3.1 .9 .2 8.7
Career 71 17.0 .386 .329 .872 2.5 2.9 .7 .0 7.6

Notes

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  1. ^ The 2021 draft was composed of two drafts: the Gilas special round, which consists of 4 players reserved for the Gilas Pilipinas program, and the regular draft. Ilagan was selected as the thirty-first pick of the regular draft.

References

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  1. ^ "RK Ilagan, another Tondo boy, seeks to make his mark in the PBA". pba.ph. January 12, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Leongson, Randolph B. (December 5, 2022). "How Tondo toughened RK Ilagan to become clutch PBA scorer". Spin.ph. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Dioquino, Delfin (March 20, 2021). "RK Ilagan still filled with joy despite sliding in PBA Draft". RAPPLER. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  4. ^ "Staglets beat Cubs, end losing streak". San Sebastian College Official Website. August 6, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  5. ^ Flores, Joaqui (June 22, 2016). "San Sebastian Stags: NCAA Season 92 Starter Pack". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  6. ^ "Jalalon almost matches triple–double, fuels Arellano to 2–0 start". www.arellano.edu.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  7. ^ Li, Matthew (August 16, 2016). "Stags fail to rebound in the clutch as Chiefs extend streak to five". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  8. ^ Li, Matthew (August 12, 2016). "Soberano is this year's three-point king". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  9. ^ Terrado, Reuben (August 30, 2016). "RK Ilagan hits seven triples as Stags down Pirates for fourth straight victory". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  10. ^ Ballesteros, Jan (September 2, 2016). "Letran cruises past San Sebastian as surging Knights snap Stags' four-game win streak". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  11. ^ Ballesteros, Jan (September 22, 2016). "Stags end NCAA 92 campaign with 27-point rout of Bombers in match of also-rans". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  12. ^ Jacinto (July 13, 2017). "RK Ilagan, Lorenzo Navarro shine as Stags score huge victory at Chiefs' home gym". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  13. ^ Li, Matthew (September 1, 2017). "'Feverish' Almel Olquina dethrones AC Soberano in three-point shootout". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  14. ^ Villar, Joey (October 19, 2017). "Home are mighty Pirates". Philstar.com. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  15. ^ "ABS-CBN Sports on Twitter: "RK Ilagan finishes with 23 points and 5 rebounds"". Twitter. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  16. ^ Li, Matthew (October 24, 2017). "Michael Calisaan's career-high tows San Sebastian to showdown with JRU". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  17. ^ "Surging Stags defuse Heavy Bombers to advance in NCAA stepladder semis vs Red Lions". Spin.ph. October 27, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  18. ^ Naredo, Camille B. (November 9, 2017). "NCAA: San Sebastian coach Macaraya sees golden future for Stags". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  19. ^ "RK Ilagan has hot hand - and temper - as Stags waste upset bid". Spin.ph. July 7, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Leongson, Randolph B. (July 1, 2019). "With ligang-labas controversy behind, Stags eager to live up to expectations". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  21. ^ "Double whammy as RK Ilagan sustains bloody cut in Stags loss". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  22. ^ Li, Matthew (August 3, 2018). "RK Ilagan, Koy Galvelo being investigated after allegedly playing in 'ligang labas'". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  23. ^ Isaga, JR (August 7, 2018). "San Sebastian suspends RK Ilagan for rest of NCAA 1st round". RAPPLER. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  24. ^ Jacinto, Christian (August 16, 2018). "Stags' two wins forfeited over Ilagan 'ligang-labas' violation". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  25. ^ Jacinto, Christian (September 5, 2018). "Ilagan apologizes to Stags teammates, vows to atone for 'ligang labas' mess". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  26. ^ Jacinto, Christian (September 7, 2018). "Ilagan back with a bang as San Sebastian rolls past EAC to get back on track". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  27. ^ Li, Matthew (October 12, 2018). "RK Ilagan continues to make amends to Baste, sets career-high against Mapua". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  28. ^ Bandayrel, Rafael (October 24, 2018). "SSC ends campaign with rout of Arellano". Tempo - The Nation's Fastest Growing Newspaper. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  29. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (July 9, 2019). "RK Ilagan on fire as SSC Stags debut with 31-point beating of JRU". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  30. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (July 16, 2019). "Stags ride 30-point second quarter to rout of Cardinals for second straight win". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  31. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (July 23, 2019). "RK Ilagan takes blame as Stags go-to guy held scoreless in loss to Lyceum". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  32. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (August 20, 2019). "Villapando layup in closing moments of OT lifts San Sebastian past Letran". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  33. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (October 15, 2019). "San Sebastian closes in on Final Four spot with victory over Arellano". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  34. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (November 4, 2019). "Stopping Bulanadi and Ilagan main goal for Letran, says Bonnie Tan". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  35. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (November 5, 2019). "RK Ilagan overcomes cramps to put on offensive show for Stags in losing effort". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  36. ^ Giongco, Mark (January 13, 2021). "Proud Tondo boy RK Ilagan determined to reach PBA dream". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  37. ^ Agcaoili, Lance (November 26, 2019). "Letran, San Beda stars set aside rivalry as Saints stun Heroes in All-Star Game". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  38. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (August 3, 2020). "RK Ilagan ready to take charge for San Sebastian, out for revenge against Letran". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  39. ^ Villanueva, Eros (January 7, 2021). "SSC's RK Ilagan to skip final year, join PBA draft". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  40. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (January 28, 2021). "The 2021 PBA Draft's oldest, youngest, tallest, and shortest players". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  41. ^ Araneta, Chuck; Pamintuan, Carlo; Sarmenta, Yoyo (March 12, 2021). "PBA mock draft: Latest predictions for first two rounds". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  42. ^ Terrado, Reuben (March 17, 2021). "Cariaso explains why Ben Adamos was Alaska's top draft target". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  43. ^ Terrado, Reuben (June 4, 2021). "Alaska signs late draft picks Alec Stockton, RK Ilagan". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  44. ^ Terrado, Reuben (July 17, 2021). "RK Ilagan's Alaska debut, however brief, didn't go unnoticed". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  45. ^ Terrado, Reuben (July 21, 2021). "Alaska rookie RK Ilagan out for a month with hamstring injury". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  46. ^ Mendoza, Martin (September 2, 2021). "Ravena-less NLEX holds off Alaska for 2nd straight win". RAPPLER. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  47. ^ Lozada, Bong (February 26, 2022). "PBA: RK Ilagan hits buzzer-beater as Alaska beats Meralco". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  48. ^ Bacnis, Justine (March 6, 2022). "PBA: Mike Harris haunts ex-team Alaska as Magnolia spoils Thoss' celebration". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  49. ^ Ramos, Gerry (May 2, 2022). "Stockton, Ilagan latest ex-Alaska players to sign with Converge". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  50. ^ Dalupang, Denison Rey A. (June 11, 2022). "PBA: RK Ilagan repays gamble for Converge". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  51. ^ Ramos, Gerry (June 12, 2022). "RK Ilagan inconsolable after blown free throws let TNT off the hook". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  52. ^ Ramos, Gerry (June 12, 2022). "Jayson Castro consoles RK Ilagan with words of wisdom". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  53. ^ "Murrell leads Converge to crucial win against NLEX". www.pba.ph. July 7, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  54. ^ Ramos, Gerry (July 9, 2022). "RK Ilagan stands tallest as Converge holds off NorthPort to start streak". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  55. ^ MICALLER, BEA (July 27, 2022). "Mikey Williams' offense too much for Converge as TNT advances to semis". GMA News Online. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  56. ^ Terrado, Reuben (November 11, 2022). "Converge extends win run to six after cooling down Phoenix in shootout". Spin.ph. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  57. ^ Li, Matthew (January 3, 2023). "Converge trades DiGregorio, Ilagan, Hill to Blackwater for Ebona, 2023 pick". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  58. ^ Bacnis, Justine (March 10, 2023). "PBA: Paul Lee torches Marcio, Juami in 3-point final". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  59. ^ Tan, Stewart (March 10, 2023). "Adrian Wong stars as Team Greats edges Team Stalwarts in PBA All-Star RSJ Game". dugout.ph. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  60. ^ Villanueva, Ralph Edwin (March 3, 2024). "Blackwater's Ilagan steps up for injury-hampered Nambatac". Philstar.com. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  61. ^ Terrado, Reuben (March 6, 2024). "Blackwater leads by 35 before cruising to win No. 3 vs Converge". Spin.ph. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  62. ^ Sayson, Homer (April 24, 2024). "COLUMN: Jeff Cariaso opens up about Blackwater collapse". Spin.ph. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  63. ^ "Regile Ilagan Player Profile, Blackwater Bossing - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com.
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