COMING off a mythical team selection in the UAAP Season 81 juniors’ basketball, UST big man Bismarck Lina will take on the leadership role of the youthful Tiger Cubs, which will feature 10 rookies in the lineup next year.
Although Lina said his experience in the UAAP would make him a “good leader,” he acknowledged he would still need to be more vocal in training sessions and actual games.
“Dahil two years na ako sa UAAP, mas naging mature na ang laro ko, kaya ko na maging captain, kailangan ko lang mas maging vocal para ma-guide ko ang team, especially our rookies,” he told the Varsitarian.
In the recently concluded Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup, where the Tiger Cubs finished fourth in the Group B category with a 2-3 win-loss slate, the 6’5” center was a steady presence for the team in both ends of the court with averages of 19.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, all while playing a league-high 32.8 minutes per outing.
Lina said he might be undersized for a center, but he makes up for it with his hustle and timing.
“Kahit na mas maliit ako sa iba, ‘yong pagiging hustle player ko saka ‘yong willingness ko na makuha ‘yong bola ang factors kaya second ako sa rebounding sa Filoil,” he said.
Tiger Cubs head coach Bonnie Garcia also lauded the Makati native for his overall play and maturity. He said Lina has been an effective big man for the team due to his dominant presence in the paint.
“Sobrang importante ni Bismarck kasi siya ang mukha ng Tiger Cubs. He is a double-double machine sa games, all of a sudden nag-mature siya, ang bilis niya mag-improve,” Garcia said.
But despite the high praises, Lina said he still needed to work on his free throw shooting as he only shot 20-of-34 from the charity stripe, good for just 59 percent.
To become a championship contender next season, the incoming Grade 12 student said the Tiger Cubs need to develop their composure, especially with 10 rookies in the team.
“Kailangan namin ng exposure through preseason tournaments para pagdating ng UAAP, composed na kami lalo na down the stretch,” the accountancy, business and management strand student said.
Aside from their team practices, Lina does extra training to perfect his moves in the paint, which he claims that is now paying off, as shown by his performance in Filoil Cup.
In Season 81, Lina was named in the mythical team after tallying 12.28 points, 11.85 rebounds and 1.21 blocks in 14 games.
He is currently part of the Gilas Pilipinas youth 14-man pool for the 2019 FIBA Under 19 World Cup to be held in Greece on June 29 to July 7.
He is set to join forces with highly-touted big men AJ Edu, who plays for NCAA Division 1 school University of Toledo, and 7’2” behemoth Kai Sotto.
“Sobrang nakatataas ng kumpyansa, sobrang nakaka-motivate ang mapabilang sa national team kasi nalaman kong may tiwala sa akin ang coaches,” the 18-year-old said.
