Ralph Cu
Filipino basketball player (born 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Louis Raphael Valeza Cu (born March 8, 1997) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
| No. 18 – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward / small forward |
| League | PBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 8, 1997 |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Xavier School (San Juan) |
| College | De La Salle |
| PBA draft | 2023: 2nd round, 23rd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Barangay Ginebra San Miguel |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–present | Barangay Ginebra San Miguel |
High school career
In 2014, Cu teamed up with Tyler Tio to get Xavier into the finals of the Philippine Secondary Schools Basketball Championship (PSSBC).[1] In the finals, they lost to San Beda College.[2] He did not receive any offers coming out of high school.[3]
College career
Cu first played for DLSU's Team B.[4] He got to represent DLSU in the UAAP's three-point shootout during Season 80.[5] He was one of the last cuts of DLSU for Season 81.[4]
Cu finally was called-up to the main roster of the DLSU Green Archers in Season 82.[6] He struggled with his shooting coming off the bench that season.[7] In Season 84, he played in only three games, and averaged less than two points per game.[8] He also played 3x3 basketball for DLSU that season, where they finished with a silver medal.[3] However, for Season 85, his senior year, he was cut from the team.[9]
Professional career
After being cut from DLSU, Cu played professional 3x3 basketball for Barangay Ginebra.[3] During this time, he also played for Ginebra in the pre-season series "PBA on Tour" as a rookie draft prospect.[10]
Barangay Ginebra (2023–present)
Cu was drafted by Barangay Ginebra in the second round of the Season 48 draft with the 23rd overall pick.[9] He was signed to a one-year deal with Ginebra.[11]
In his first four games with Ginebra during the 2023–24 Commissioner's Cup, he did not score a point. Although he only played in eight games that conference, he impressed Coach Tim Cone with his passing and decision-making.[8][12] He was selected to be part of Team Greats for the Greats vs. Stalwarts game during the 2024 PBA All-Star Weekend.[13]
Before the start of the 2024 Philippine Cup, Popovich had him train with Gilas Pilipinas as a practice player.[14] In a win over the Phoenix Fuel Masters, he had 12 points, making four three-pointers.[15] He then followed it up with 14 points with four three pointers once again in a win over the Blackwater Bossing.[16] The following game, against the NorthPort Batang Pier, he led the team to the win with season-highs of 24 points on 6-of-11 shooting from three, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. He almost became the first rookie since teammate Scottie Thompson in 2016 to have a triple-double.[17] In the playoffs, they beat the Magnolia Hotshots to enter the semifinals.[18] In Game 1 of the semifinals, he stepped up with 18 points on six three pointers as Ginebra took the opening win.[19] The series lasted seven games, with Meralco eventually eliminating them and moving on to the finals.[3][20]
Ginebra made the finals in his second season, during the 2024 Governors' Cup against the TNT Tropang Giga.[21] In his first finals appearance, Cu had 13 points, five rebounds, and six assists, and helped keep the game close before TNT pulled away.[22] TNT went on to win the finals in six games.[23] They also made the finals in the 2024–25 Commissioner's Cup.[24]
Personal life
Cu's father, Louie Cu, is a former UST Glowing Goldie who now runs a forwarding business.[3] His girlfriend is volleyball player Jolina dela Cruz.[25]