Kai Sotto

Kai Zachary Sotto (born May 11, 2002) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the G League Select Team. Listed at 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m), he plays the center position. The son of basketball player Ervin Sotto, he excelled in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) juniors division with Ateneo Blue Eaglets in Quezon City, before moving to the Skill Factory in Atlanta, Georgia. A consensus four-star recruit, Sotto joined the G League Select Team instead of playing college basketball. He has represented the Philippine men's national basketball team in several competitions.

Kai Sotto
Sotto with The Skill Factory in February 2020
G League Select Team
PositionCenter
Personal information
Born (2002-05-11) May 11, 2002
Las Piñas, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Listed height7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)
Listed weight236 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolAteneo de Manila
(Quezon City, Philippines)
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  Philippines
SEABA Under-16 Championship
2017 PhilippinesTeam

Early life and youth career

Sotto played basketball at the elementary level with Saint Francis of Assisi College in Las Piñas. He grew up idolizing basketball players June Mar Fajardo and Kristaps Porziņģis.[1] In April 2016, Sotto enrolled at Ateneo de Manila High School in Quezon City and joined its junior basketball program, the Blue Eaglets.[2] In March 2018, he led his team to a UAAP Basketball Championship title in the juniors division and was named Finals most valuable player (MVP) after averaging 17 points, 13 rebounds and 6.3 blocks per game in three games.[3] In the following season, Sotto averaged 25.1 points, 13.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game and earned UAAP juniors MVP honors.[4]

On November 9, 2019, Sotto announced that he would join The Skill Factory, a preparatory program based in Atlanta, Georgia.[5] In his debut one day later, he recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds in a 65–61 loss to IMG Academy.[6] On January 21, 2020, Sotto was named MVP of the King Invitational tournament, averaging 27 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.3 blocks and three assists in three games.[7] In February 2020, he participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp held during NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago.[8][9]

Recruiting

Sotto was considered a consensus four-star recruit by major recruiting services.[10] He was recruited by several NCAA Division I programs.[11] It was announced on May 13, 2020 that Sotto joined the G League Select Team, forgoing his college eligibility.[12]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Kai Sotto
C		 Manila, Philippines Ateneo de Manila
(Philippines)		 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 236 lb (107 kg) — 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 84
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 67  247Sports: 52  ESPN: 65
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 23, 2020.

    Professional career

    On May 13, 2020, Sotto signed with the NBA G League and joined the G League Select Team as part of the league's new developmental program operating outside its traditional team structure.[12][13]

    National team career

    Sotto made his national team debut for the Philippines at the 2017 SEABA Under-16 Championship in Quezon City, Philippines. He averaged 16.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and three blocks per game, leading his team to a gold medal. Sotto registered 15 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in an 83–62 win over Malaysia in the final.[14] In April 2018, he represented the Philippines at the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship in Foshan, China, where he led his team to fourth place. Sotto averaged 16.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game and was named to the tournament's Mythical First Team.[15] He recorded 28 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks in a quarterfinal win over Japan, before recording 26 points, 21 rebounds and six blocks in a semifinal loss to China.[16] He led the event in rebounds and blocks per game, as well as player efficiency rating (21.5).[17]

    Sotto played for the Philippines at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Argentina, where he averaged 16.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He led his team to 13th place, its best finish at the event. In a classification game win over Egypt, he had his best performance at the tournament, tallying 28 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks.[18] Sotto represented the Philippines at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Heraklion, Greece, where his team finished in 14th place. He averaged 11.7 points and 7.9 rebounds, while tying with Ibou Dianko Badji for a tournament-high 3.1 blocks per game.[19]

    Personal life

    Sotto's father, Ervin Sotto, and his godfather, Ranidel de Ocampo, played basketball professionally in the Philippines.[20] Sotto's mother is named Pamela and he has two siblings. His parent's height Ervin Sotto is 6 ft 7 in (2.07 m) and Pamela Sotto is 6 feet tall (1.83 m).[21][22]

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    References
    1. Celis, Beth (April 30, 2016). "Bright future ahead for Kai". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
    2. "Sotto to enroll in Ateneo High". The Manila Times. April 27, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
    3. Isaga, J. R. "Finals MVP Kai Sotto 'the happiest man in the Philippines' after Ateneo's title win". Rappler.com.
    4. Naredo, Camille. "Ateneo's Kai Sotto is UAAP juniors MVP". news.abs-cbn.com.
    5. Anolin, Jan Carlo (November 10, 2019). "Kai Sotto commits to Atlanta-based basketball org, posts double-double in debut game". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
    6. "Kai Sotto posts double-double in TSF National debut". ABS-CBN Corporation. November 10, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
    7. Giongco, Mark (January 22, 2020). "Kai Sotto wins MVP in Atlanta tournament". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
    8. "2020 NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam, Davis Bertāns, Tacko Fall and Lauri Markkanen to coach top international prospects at sixth annual Basketball Without Borders Global Camp". pr.nba.com. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
    9. Rush, Joel. "Kai Sotto Striving To Fulfill His Dream Of Becoming The Philippines' First Homegrown NBA Player". forbes.com. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
    10. Morales, Luisa (January 24, 2020). "Kai Sotto ranked 68th, tagged as four-star recruit in ESPN US class of 2020". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
    11. Jiwani, Rory (February 5, 2020). "Top colleges fight over Filipino basketball prodigy Kai Sotto". Olympic Channel. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
    12. "Top International Prospect Kai Sotto Signs With NBA G League". gleague.nba.com. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
    13. Lozada, Bong (May 15, 2020). "Kai Sotto G League deal worth $200K—report deal worth $200K—reporte deal worth $200K—report". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
    14. Naredo, Camille B. (May 18, 2017). "Kai Sotto relishes first international basketball experience". ABS-CBN Corporation. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
    15. "Sotto, Sun and Wigness lead the FIBA U16 Asian Championship Mythical Teams". FIBA. April 10, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
    16. Sarmenta, Yoyo (April 8, 2018). "Kai Sotto is most efficient player in FIBA U16 Asian Championship". ESPN. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
    17. Dioquino, Delfin (April 9, 2018). "Kai Sotto leads FIBA Asia U16 in 3 departments". Rappler. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
    18. Sarmenta, Yoyo (July 7, 2018). "Sotto powers Batang Gilas to first win in FIBA U17 World Cup". ESPN. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
    19. Isaga, JR (July 8, 2019). "Kai Sotto finishes as top U19 blocker, Dave Ildefonso 9th in scoring". Rappler. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
    20. Terrado, Jonas (March 27, 2019). "Kai off to US on a quest to make it to the NBA". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
    21. Snow Badua (April 11, 2016). "Kai Sotto, 13 and already 6-foot-9, dreams of making it to NBA, idolizes Kevin Garnett". Spin.ph. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
    22. Norman Riego (March 15, 2017). "Sotto family's move northward bears fruit as 6'11" Kai now rising in Katipunan". ABS-CBN Sports. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
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