If the Filoil Flying V tournament is any indication, nothing much has changed with the new-look UST Growing Tigers despite having one of the best coaches in college basketball.
The Tigers rank eighth out of nine teams in Group B of the pre-season cup, the team’s first tournament with coach Aldin Ayo, who was hired from De La Salle University five months ago.
“Maraming weaknesses pa, kulan
The team has only garnered two wins out of eight games and suffered a four-game skid halfway through the tournament.
After the Tigers’ breakout win against Jose Rizal University last May 15, they have lost the next three against Adamson University, College of Saint Benilde, Far Eastern University and Lyceum of the Philippines University before hacking out a win against Arellano University in their last game.
Taking care of the basketball is still one of the main problems of the new-look Tigers, averaging 19.6 turnovers throughout their last five games.
They also gave up 90 points off turnovers.
UST also shot the ball poorly from the outside, notching ameasly 32 percent from the three-point area.
Their early struggles are also partly because they have yet to practice with a complete roster and frontcourt.
Bigman Steve Akomo did not play a single game in the tournament due to a knee injury
while returnee Embons Bonleon only suited up in the last two games after a shoulder
injury.
The lack of big men left the team’s paint defense thinner.
Akomo averaged 11.4 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game last UAAP season.
The Tigers were forced to play 6’3” wingmen Zachary Huang Nat Cosejo at center.
Ayo also lamented the team’s lack of physical toughness and inability to score on designed plays.
“Alam naman na ng players ‘yong plays pero it is all about finishing it,” he said.
Optimistic
Aside from four players in the active lineup from last UAAP season’s roster, the Tigers are fielding seven rookies that are either transferees or team B players, and returnee Renzo Subido.
With roughly four months left before Season 81, Ayo is confident the team will be ready to compete.
“’Yong mga tinrabaho namin for the past four months, malaki ang in-improve. Laging may progress. Maganda‘yong mga resulta ng practices namin and hopefully before UAAP starts, ma-reach namin ang gusto naming level of play,” he said.
Aside from the Filoil tournament, the Tigers are also looking to play tune-up games in Iloilo and outside of the country for more exposure.
