The Dwight Ramos hype is real as far as Gilas legend Jimmy Alapag is concerned.

Alapag said he first came across Ramos when coach Jong Uichico mentioned the 6-foot-5 Fil-Am to him.

"I remember when coach Jong first saw him in practice he drew out comparisons to Danny Seigle," said Alapag, a veteran of FIBA basketball competition, in Smart Sports Hoops Life.

"Those are huge shoes to fill. For me (Seigle was) arguably the greatest small forward ever to play in the PBA."

Alapag, now based in the US, said he went to see how Ramos play and he was shocked.

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"Man, the kid could play," he said. "Just seeing the poise he played with, his ability to put on the floor, the ability to shoot, finish at the rim. I was really impressed."

"It was obvious that he's going to be a staple to the team."

True enough, Ramos became the most consistent among the current crop of Gilas Pilipinas players during the recent FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.

He averaged 15 points on 41.9 percent shooting, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 2 assists in two wins against South Korea and a victory versus Indonesia.

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"That's the scary part, the part that he's not yet a pro," said Alapag. "I think it just speaks volumes of where he's at in his young career," said Alapag.

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