04/03/2026
Two years ago, Marinduque found itself in a basketball moment it had never truly experienced before.
For the longest time, the province had never been marketed as a basketball hotbed. An island better known for its baseball diamonds, softball fields, badminton courts, and track lanes that regularly dominate DepEd meets, Marinduque has often stood on the edge of the national hoops conversation.
There have been names, yes.
AJ Madrigal and Maui Bernabe made their marks in the NCAA and UAAP. Rex Leynes competed in the PBA D League. The Avila brothers, Grin and Bhlu, shined in the Junior MPBL. They proved talent existed in the province.
But two years ago, in 2024, something different happened.
It was not just representation. It was eruption.
Mick Geronimo walked into the NBTC tournament with little noise from the outside. Marinduque was not projected to contend. They were not picked to advance. They were simply there, carrying the pride of an island more identified with other sports.
Then the games tipped off.
Game one.
Thirty eight points. Six triples.
Game two.
Forty six points. Eight from deep.
By then, whispers started circulating around the venue. Who is this kid from Marinduque?
And then came game three.
Against eventual National Finalist PCU Dasmariรฑas, Geronimo authored a performance that still echoes in NBTC history. Fifty four points. Fourteen three pointers. The most points scored and most three pointers made in a single game in the history of the tournament.
Marinduque finished 0 and 3 that season. The standings did not favor them. But the record books told a different story.
Geronimo left the tournament averaging 44.7 points per game and nine triples per outing. That is not just scoring. That is a statement.
Two years later, the numbers still feel unreal. But what made it special was not only the statistics. It was what it meant.
For a province often overlooked in basketball circles, Mick gave people a reason to look twice. He gave young hoopers in small barangay courts someone who looked like them, came from where they came from, and proved that distance from the mainland does not mean distance from greatness.
He turned isolation into inspiration.
And even now, when conversations about Marinduque basketball arise, one name still surfaces with pride.
Mick Geronimo.
Because two years ago, on a stage built for the best young players in the country, an island kid did more than score.
He made the nation watch.
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๐ท: NBTC PH
