Ralph Cu

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In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Valeza and the surname or paternal family name is Cu.
Ralph Cu
No. 18 – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
PositionPower forward / small forward
LeaguePBA
Personal information
Born (1997-03-08) March 8, 1997 (age 28)
NationalityFilipino
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High schoolXavier School (San Juan)
CollegeDe La Salle
PBA draft2023: 2nd round, 23rd overall pick
Drafted byBarangay Ginebra San Miguel
Playing career2023–present
Career history
2023–presentBarangay Ginebra San Miguel

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).

High school career

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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]

References

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  1. ^ "Giant-killer Xavier School brings down NU Bullpups to reach PSSBC final vs San Beda". Spin.ph. November 17, 2014. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  2. ^ "Cubs whip Xavier, bag PSSBC crown". Philstar.com. November 24, 2014. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  3. ^ a b c d e Villanueva, Kristina (May 31, 2024). "Dream Chasers: Ginebra rising rookie Ralph Cu keeps believing in himself". onesports.ph. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  4. ^ a b Olivares, Rick (December 7, 2018). "Archers, Eagles collide in BBI cagefest". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  5. ^ Isaga, JR (2017-10-21). "Ateneo's Dan Angelo Wong wins inaugural UAAP JBL 3-point shootout". RAPPLER. Archived from the original on 2024-08-14. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  6. ^ Canicosa, Immanuel (2019-09-06). "Green Archers UAAP 82 Preview : Another shot at redemption". Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  7. ^ Layug, Paolo (2020-06-04). "Stats Don't Lie: La Salle frontline key to UAAP Final Four return". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  8. ^ a b Ventura, Sid (2024-04-15). "Ralph Cu Proves He Belongs in the PBA with Ginebra". Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  9. ^ a b Li, Matthew (2024-03-10). "La Salle cut Ralph Cu forever grateful to Tim Cone for opportunity of a lifetime". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  10. ^ Ramos, Gerry (July 22, 2023). "How much free agents, 3x3 players, rookie hopefuls earn in PBA On Tour". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  11. ^ Terrado, Reuben (September 27, 2023). "Ralph Cu signs one-year contract with Barangay Ginebra". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  12. ^ Terrado, Reuben (November 28, 2023). "Ginebra rookie Ralph Cu gets Cone's attention even without scoring". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  13. ^ Bacnis, Justine (2024-02-26). "Japeth selects C-Stan as top pick in PBA ASG Draft". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  14. ^ Terrado, Reuben (March 7, 2024). "Gilas exposure will raise Cu and Gumaru's confidence, says Cone". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  15. ^ Sacamos, Ariane Karlo F. (March 10, 2024). "Ginebra rookie Ralph Cu marks birthday with torrid shooting". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  16. ^ Bacnis, Justine (2024-04-12). "PBA: Standhardinger drops 33 as Ginebra wallops Blackwater, halts two-game skid". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  17. ^ Bacnis, Justine (2024-04-14). "Ralph Cu surprises even Tim Cone with stellar performances". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  18. ^ Bacnis, Justine (2024-05-11). "Ginebra steamrolls past Magnolia in uneventful Clasico clash, books ticket to PBA semis". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  19. ^ Ramos, Gerry (May 18, 2024). "Ginebra rookie Ralph Cu proves he can deliver in big moments". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  20. ^ Villanueva, Ralph Edwin (May 31, 2024). "Bolts eliminate Kings for 1st-ever PBA Philippine Cup finals stint". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  21. ^ Jacinto, Angelo (October 28, 2024). "Cu, Aurin savor journey from 3x3 to On Tour to PBA Finals". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  22. ^ Terrado, Reuben (October 30, 2024). "What TNT must do to take a 2-0 lead over Ginebra in PBA Finals". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  23. ^ Caramoan, Miguel Alfonso (2024-11-08). "TNT clinch PBA Governors' Cup title in Game 6". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  24. ^ "Ginebra takes down NorthPort, sets up best-of-7 titular series versus TNT". www.pba.ph. March 7, 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  25. ^ Garcia, John Mark (January 20, 2025). "How Ralph Cu helped girlfriend Jolina go through 14-month rehab". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
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