Tag: July 1, 2009

THE BIG boys are gone, but if there’s one thing this season’s Tigers are not lacking, it’s fighting spirit.

Coach Pido Jarencio described his wards as one hungry pack whose intense desire could make up for their relative inexperience as a team and low ceiling.

But conscious of the handicap, he made no prediction on whether UST could finally make a return trip to the Final Four and ultimately get the job done.

“Even if we’re undersized, these players are fighters—they refuse to quit,” he said in Filipino.

Jarencio was apparently getting his confidence from the way his crew performed in pre-UAAP tune-ups during the summer. He particularly saw promise when UST, fielding a small lineup, barged into the finals of the 2009 Millennium Basketball League (MBL).

The MBL was no inter-barangay tilt. It’s the real deal where the Tigers got to compete with ex-PBA stalwarts. At the very least, Jarencio said the experience was invaluable.

Pathetic defense crashed the Tigers’ title hopes as they bowed to Lyceum-Showa, 73-91, in the Millennium Basketball League (MBL) finals at the Lyceum gym last June 23.

In contrast, Lyceum’s offense was fluid and its defense solid to keep the Dickies-backed Tigers frustrated for most of the game.

“Our defense was terrible that’s why our offense was directly affected and we found it hard to shoot,” Tigers’ team captain Dylan Ababou admitted.

The Tigers had problems patrolling the middle and boxing out Lyceum’s Jerwin Gaco and Chris Aqualaful.

Still, they came within 10 in the fourth quarter, 59-69, courtesy of the steady sniping by MBL MVP  Allein Maliksi and Khasim Mirza.

But Lyceum’s own duo, Allen Disuntarum and Dondon Villamin brought back the bubble to 15 points, 59-75. UST got no closer than that the rest of the way.

Early pull-away

EXPECT no big man from among the Tigers from recruits for the coming UAAP season. But coach Pido Jarencio expects his rookies–none of them standing above 6’3”–to play tough and play big.

The new heirs of the Growling Tigers’ monarchy will be rookies Darrel Green, Marco Cam, Rushdy Hadi, Eduard Aytona, Jerick Teng, Aljohn Ungria, Andrew Felix and Aljon Mariano.

Marco Cam

Jersey No. 21

Height: 6’0”

Position: Forward

PBA/NBA icon: Ron Artest of Houston Rockets

Previously playing for the San Sebastian Junior Stags, the 19-year-old Cam has the wit of setting-up unselfish plays for his teammates. Chalking up points in the assists department, he can also shoot from the rainbow country and penetrate the basket despite the sturdy defense played by the opponents.

Aljohn Ungria

Jersey No. 17

Height: 6’1”

Position: Center/Forward