Remembering NCC Days - Benjie Gutierrez

PBA Newest Heartrob 

Benjie Gutierrez, in his collegiate days, was really not known for his shooting skills. 
At UST, he was called 'The Neutralizer." A brainy court general, he directed the plays.
and was oftentimes responsible for Jarencio's getting the open shot. After completing 
five years with the Glowing Goldies, Benjie signed up with the Army Jungle Fighters 
and saw action in the Philippine Amateur Basketball League's Invitationals late last 
year and the San Miguel-sponsored PABL Invitationals early this year. With the Jungle 
Fighters, Gutierrez developed his shooting touch. Soon enough, he became Army's leading 
scorer even outpointing erstwhile top gunner Edgar Amisola. With the introduction of 
the three- point shot in amateur basketball, Gutierrez added another dimension to his 
fast- growing arsenal of hardcourt weapons. In the PABL Invitationals last March, 
Gutierrez emerged as the league's leader in three point shot conversions. 
In one game, he connected on eight tries from the birdie region. This record, 
however, was tied by Lagerlite's Alfie Almario. Gutierrez earned a berth in the 
national training team because of Machinegun Chip Engelland's ineligibility to 
play in the coming ABC. 
At the start of the PBA Reinforced Conference, Northern Consolidated paraded two new cagers. 
Coincidentally, both players, Alfredo Jarencio and Benjie Gutierrez are from the University 
of Santo Tomas, last year's UAAP runner up. Of the two new additions to the NCC squad, 
one has already had an informal stint in the PBA last year. Alfredo Jarencio, the go-go-go gunner 
of the Glowing Goldies, played for NCC in last year's third conference, However, NCC games 
then were only mere exhibitions. Now, Jarencio is back in the NCC fold, officially part of the PBA. 
The other UST cager who recently joined NCC is the dashing Benjie Gutierrez, Jarencio's 
former backcourt partner, in the UAAP. Of course, fans are already aware of Jarencio's 
shooting prowess. After all, having been a reserve in the national squad for a long time, 
Jarencio has already showed his wares on a lot of occasions. And so, of the two new cagers 
in the NCC line-up, Benjie Gutierrez is deemed as the one really out to prove his worth in

From Sports Weekly Magazine 80's By BARRY PASCUA