Enrico Villanueva
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Jose Enrico Pascual Villanueva (born June 23, 1980 in Pasay City, Philippines), better known simply as Enrico Villanueva, and by the nicknames Raging Bull and E-Vill, is a Filipino professional basketball player who plays for the NLEX Road Warriors in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Villanueva first played for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets in the UAAP Juniors division leading them to numerous winning seasons and championships. He moved to the college ranks in 1998 and led the Ateneo Blue Eagles to several final four appearances and two UAAP Finals appearances, eventually winning the basketball crown in 2002 over their rivals, the De La Salle Green Archers.
He also had several chances to win the Most Valuable Player award but lost to DLSU's Don Allado in 1999 and teammate Rich Alvarez in 2000 and 2001 before finally winning it in his final season in 2002.
In the Philippine Basketball League, Villanueva began playing with Blu Detergent in 1999 before leading the Ateneo sponsored Hapee-NENACO team to the PBL title in 2002 over his former team Blu.
In 2003, Villanueva applied for the 2003 PBA draft, in one of the deepest drafts in PBA history. He was eventually selected seventh overall by Batang Red Bull Thunder. In his rookie season, he averaged modest numbers of 7.4 points and 4.5 rebounds playing a limited role as a reliever of veterans Davonn Harp and Mick Pennisi.
However, after Harp and Pennisi were shelved for failing to further prove their Filipino lineage (Pennisi has since returned to the league), he saw his playing time increase along with his production. Despite a sorry performance in the 2004-05 PBA Philippine Cup, he managed to lead Red Bull to a fourth-place finish in the 2005 PBA Fiesta Conference. By season's end, he was named as the Most Improved Player by the league and became the new face of the franchise.
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