UST ATHLETICS director Fr. Rodel Cansancio, O.P. on Monday urged fans of the Growling Tigers to be patient with the system of new head coach Bal David after alumni groups online started demanding “changes” in the management of the school’s men’s basketball program after its poor start to Season 85.
Some UST alumni groups have started calling for an overhaul of the Growling Tigers program, including giving keys to the basketball program’s management to private backers.
The fan page “Growling Tigers of UST” published a “reflection” in which it said the Tigers should “no longer be managed by a Dominican priest and an IPEA professor.”
“This should be handled by a professional manager who will bring the team to another level in two to three years and a long-term grassroots program with strong connections to the professional leagues in the Philippines and abroad,” it said.
The same statement was shared by another fan page, the “UST Growling Tigers,” with the caption: “We want change.”
In a statement sent to the Varsitarian, Cansancio said the Growling Tigers’ growing pains should not be pinned solely on David, who took over the team three months ago.
Cansancio said the backlash David was receiving was both unfair and premature.
“He (David) only assumed the post two months prior to the start of the UAAP season and he has to work with the team that is in front of him,” he said.
“We are not making excuses, but coach Bal and his coaching staff are doing their best to expedite the adaption of his system to his current players. It is really disappointing to lose, but the team is doing its best,” Cansancio said.
David has faced several roster changes since taking on the UST coaching job, including the disqualification of team veterans Sherwin Concepcion and Bryan Santos from Season 85 and the departures of Kean Baclaan, Gani Stevens and Willie Wilson.
“It was really adjustment after adjustment for Coach Bal and his coaching staff that brought us to this slow start. Also, the team is very young, so there are really some birth pains, but we hope to overcome that as soon as possible,” Cansancio said.
The Tigers, since winning their Season 85 opener, have lost four straight games. They currently stand in seventh place, only above the winless FEU Tamaraws.
Cansancio said the Tigers would be revamped after David’s first year at the helm.
“Definitely, there will be a revamp after the season and coach Bal and his staff will have ample time to get the players that they think will fit the system he will run,” Cansancio said.
“Recruitments will definitely be aggressive and we will assess the current roster on who should be kept or who should be removed.”
