DESPITE the UST Growling Tigers’ 0-4 start in UAAP Season 86, their coaching staff thinks it is not yet time to hit the panic button.
Japs Cuan, a member of UST’s 2006 championship team who is now a member of the team’s coaching staff, said the Tigers have been performing well but their shots weren’t falling.
“I don’t think it’s the right time to press the panic button,” Cuan said after UST’s 87-69 loss to the NU Bulldogs on Wednesday. “Honestly, I still believe in the team, especially our players. The only problem is that our shots are not falling.”
In the Tigers’ first four games, they shot 39 percent (102 of 264) from the field including 22 percent (19 of 86) from beyond the arc. They also shot a dismal 64 percent (63 out of 99) from the free throw line.
Their defense allowed their opponents to shoot 44 percent (120 of 273) from the field and 33 percent (37 of 122) from deep.
Against NU, Cuan said the Tigers were able to execute their game plan, which was to force the Bulldogs to shoot more threes.
“I think we stuck to the gameplan, and we let them shoot outside,” Cuan said. “I think it worked naman because they only had five three-pointers. So it just so happened na we got outrebounded. We only have three bigs rotating right now, but still credit to the boys.”
The Tigers played their second game without big man Adama Faye, who is still undergoing rehabilitation for his back, and his absence was felt as the Bulldogs outrebounded the Growling Tigers, 45-25. In the two games Faye played, he was in a minutes restriction.
The lack of interior defense also had NU dominate UST inside with 54 points in the paint and 25 second-chance points.
Three of UST four losses were in double digits. The largest was a 20-point loss against the DLSU Green Archers, 91-71.
Cuan said the Tigers’ struggles were also due to youth.
“Medyo mga bata pa rin kasi yung mga players,” he said. “Hopefully sooner they stick to their roles na kasi we really need them to step up […] I think eventually, makakapuntos din kami so for me, yung Thomasian community, have patience lang for us.”
The Tigers had a losing record in each of the past two seasons, which both resulted in changes in the coaching staff.
The Growling Tigers have a tough task ahead of them as they will face the undefeated UP Fighting Maroons on Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“They’re (UP) the number one team. We have to find ways to stop them, especially (since) we have a problem with their bigs right now kasi kinakain kami sa loob,” Cuan said. Jose Gabriel V. Ignacio with reports from Josh Nikkolai S. Bravo
