Remembering NCC Days - Leoncio Tan Jr

LEONCIO Tan, Jr. belongs to that enviable breed of players hand-picked by American coach Ron Jacobs 
for the national team under the aegis of project di- rector Danding Cojuangco in the early 80's.
At first, these players were belittled and their credentials doubted for not having gone through 
the normal channels enroute to making the national team. But Jacobs knew exactly what he wanted. 
He was a stickler for role players and Tan fitted perfectly into his patterns.
Tan was a defensive man who would sacrifice his offensive game just to make life miserable 
for the opponents. Because Filipino basketball fans held little appreciation for defensive 
qualities back then, Tan's performance was over- shadowed by those of his more illustrious teammates 
like Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Elmer Reyes, Yves Dignadice and others.