Paul Francisco and Jacob Macalalad are committed to play for the St. Clair men's basketball team in the fall. The backcourt tandem hail from Winnipeg, Manitoba where Filipino basketball is a big deal. Both come from programs where they shone has all-stars.
We appreciate the time Francisco and Macalalad took to share who they are with Powerplay Sports.
My name is Jacob Macalalad, born and raised in Winnipeg Manitoba. My passion for basketball started at the age of 6 years old. I attended Garden City and Maples Collegiate, where I played on the junior and senior varsity basketball team. After high school I played for Notre Dame Prep at Athol Murray in Saskatchewan for the 2019/2020 season. The most exciting experience of my youth basketball career was competing in the NABA (North American Basketball Association) and FBNA (Filipino Basketball North America) which are two of the largest organized Filipino basketball tournaments held annually in major cities across Canada and the US. I was fortunate to play a handful of years and travelled to Washington DC, Toronto, Chicago, and more.
I’m very proud to say that Winnipeg has one of the largest Filipino basketball communities in Canada, and someday I hope to represent my community and play competitive basketball in the Philippines. I recently completed a semester and trained at Mohawk Valley College in New York State but due to the pandemic like everyone else the season was cancelled. It was decided after that I would continue my postsecondary in Canada. I was then introduced to Coach Seguin and Coach Sykes. I was impressed with how well they run their basketball program and how St. Clair supports students with both their academic and athletic goals. I’m also excited to have my long-time friend and teammate Paul Francisco who will be coming with me as well.
My name is Paul Francisco, but some people call me “PJ”. I was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and I started playing basketball at the age of 9. I attended Garden City Collegiate and École Secondaire Kelvin High School where I played on the junior and varsity basketball team. After graduating I attended Athol Murray to play a post grad year for the Hounds in Saskatchewan during the 2019/2020 season. I was first introduced to the game of basketball by my dad. It was during the 2008 playoffs where I caught the game on TV against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. During that playoff series I watched Kobe Bryant play and he has been my favorite player ever since. Growing up I have dreamed about playing basketball at the collegiate level and I am very blessed and excited to play for the Saints. Being Filipino Canadian I am proud of the community and culture that I am apart of and pleased that I get to represent the Filipino basketball community. I want to be an inspiration to all younger Filipino basketball players that you can make it in the sport. In the future I hope to play professionally and represent the Philippines national team. I had found out about St. Clair from my close friend and teammate, Jacob Macalalad.He had told me of how great the coaching and athleticsand the schools support of their student athletes. Upon further research and conversation with Coach Senguin and Coach Sykes, it was clear of my decision to represent St. Clair and to become a Saint. I am exhilarated to be playing alongside my close-friend Jacob and we hope to make an immediate impact on the court!
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