Photo from www.guamsportsnetwork.com

GUAM -- Two of Guam's finest youth players, Kyle Gaitan and Thomas Calvo will take the next step in their careers by taking their talents across the ocean to improve their game and hopefully represent Guam Men's basketball squad in the future.

Gaitan, an 18-year old shooting guard has committed to play for the Enderun College Titans in the Philippines.

“I look forward to playing basketball for the Titans and I’m also going to be majoring in International Tourism and Hospitality Management,” Gaitan said to GSPN.

The 6'0 shooting guard's parents was originally based in the Philippines, and he is excited to go there and continue to improve his game in a country that treats basketball as a religion.

"I knew of the school from a peer that is currently attending Enderun. In December of 2017, the FD basketball competed in a tournament hosted by Enderun College, and I was very impressed with the campus and basketball program," said Gaitan.

"Although I was born and raised in Guam, my family is originally from the Philippines so leaving Guam for the Philippines will hopefully not be a difficult transition for me. I set a goal to play college basketball, and this is a great opportunity for me," he added.

Gaitan has his eyes on Guam's national team and has stated his goal; to represent Guam in senior men's basketball international competition.

"It’s always been a dream of mine growing up to represent Guam and be a member of the Guam Men's National Team, and I will work hard in the Philippines to improve as a shooting guard, so I can earn a spot on Team Guam," said Gaitan.

"I played in the FIBA Oceania U18 Championships last year in Guam, and will never forget the feeling representing my island home," he added.

Calvo, the son of Guam's National Head Coach EJ Calvo will try his luck with California Lutheran University Kingsmen, a Division III school in the Southern California Intercollegiate Conference.

The 18-year old point guard will attend CLU as a walk-on and hope to emulate the career path of current Guam national team point guard, Kyle Husslein who played for the University of Redlands Bulldogs.

"I had a couple good conversations with Kyle Husslein about Redland's University, where he just graduated in May and played four years of college basketball. Kyle also talked to me about what he thought about other schools he competed against, including CLU. I feel that CLU will give me the academic foundation I am looking for, as well as an opportunity to continue to grow as a basketball player," said the 5'10 guard.

Calvo echoes his FD Friar teammate and hopes to one day join the Guam's national team in in international comeptitions.

"I was honored to play for Team Guam as a junior national player in two FIBA tournaments where we finished behind Australia & New Zealand, and will work hard to get stronger and improve my game in college to hopefully one day make our Guam Men's National Team," he shared.