Happy Birthday, Leandro Isaac ( Feb 2 )

Many sports afficionados would agree that Isaac has definitely arrived. Thus, the title King Cardinal suits him best. He started playing basketball when he was nine years old and somehow he grew fond of the sport. After his high school days at Ramon Magsaysay, he was taken in by Coach Carlos Badion. At 6'1" and with a pair of deadly shooting arms, Badion found it hard ignoring the potentials of Isaac. However he was relegated to MIT's training team in 1977 considering the presence of Joel Banal, Dupoy Ludovice and a number of established Cardinals. There was no room for the budding Isaac. But Leo, patient as he is, knows how to wait for his turn. And his turn came. In 1978, he became a regular member of the team. His forte was in the wings but he was assigned the guard position. His ascent was unstoppable so that in 1979 he was given the task of being the skipper of MIT's quintet. This was the beginning of Isaac's metamorphosis into an all-around cager. His hard-court personality was that of an able court general, a reliable hoop-puncturer a rebounder rolled into one. With his and brilliant performance, he earned the respect of his teammates and an extension of his term as captain ball in 1980. In the same year, he made it as an alternate in the RP youth squad that participated in the Asian Youth Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand last November. This year, again he was entrusted with the role of skipper. And this season, his last playing year for the Cardinals, he has acted the hero's part as he was instrumental in giving MIT only its third Championship title since it joined the NCAA. He effectively directed MIT's plays with authority on the mahogany rectangle and his contributions points, rebounds, assists, you name itwere felt not only but the Mapuans . With a 17.53 point clip per game, he emerged as the fifth best scorer of the league behind teammates Gerardo Ramos and Edmundo Baculi who averaged 19.76 and 19.61 respectively, SBC's Virgilio Cortez with 18.9 and Trinity's Demetrio Portosa with 17.55. The youngest child of Ceferino Isaac, a retired policeman, and Angelita Zablan, Leo is happy having been adjudged MVP unanimously by the NCAA Board. "Practice, determination and confidence helped me earn the MVP Title. Add to that coach Badion's trust in me," quipped Isaac. Ecstatic about his triumph, he has still reservations. He does not pin all his hopes on basketball. Being a fourth year Management and Industrial Engineering student, he want to go into private enterpreneurship in the future when his cage years are over. He has frolickingly hinted that he wants to venture in the movie business. With his good looks and his proportional built, one would take it casually if he would be given the opportunity to step into a different dais that of film acting. But at present, this shift to another field is far from his thoughts as he still wishes to give off if not exhaust his basketball prowess. Next year, he might be seeing action in the commercial league. As this year's King Cardinal, NCAA Most Valuable Player, and with his credential as 1980 RP Youth Team alternate Isaac surely noticed by the men Training team.