Nidoy takes big gamble, moves to Philippines to play basketball
Christian Nidoy
From Alaska to Las Vegas to Maine to the Philippines, he’s willing to go wherever the game of basketball takes him.
Nidoy, of West High fame, attended prep school at Impact Academy in Vegas before signing with Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, where he played for three semesters.
“After the first semester of my sophomore year, I decided to take a chance and come down here to the Philippines to play college ball here because I’ve always wanted to play here professionally and I knew it would be hard for me to get my name out to people out in the Philippines,” he told me, “and I knew that if I played college here It would be easier to get my name out.”
The speedy 5-foot-8 guard arrived on the Philippines last spring and eventually received a scholarship from Arellano University.
“In order for me to become eligible I had to sit out one year due to a residency rule. This past season my team lost in the championship game,” he said. “Now that I’m eligible to play I’ve been working towards making a name for myself.”
Nidoy is averaging 15.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists.
He recently scored 23 points and added eight rebounds and pair of assists in a 68-61 victory over CW Home Depot during a postseason league game.
“When I first got here it was hard for me to adjust to the style of play because it is so fast paced and very physical,” Nidoy said. “The players here are very fundamental and skilled but are not that physically gifted compared to players in the U.S. People think that the competition is not that good in the Philippines, but really there is a lot of talent here.”