THE UST Tiger Cubs look to extend their winning momentum into the UAAP as they enter Season 87 armed with championship experience from their preseason tournaments. 

After two consecutive fourth-place finishes, the Tiger Cubs are more determined than ever to finally get over the hump with the help of reinforcements such as 6-foot-7 Senegalese Racine Kane, Kirk Cañete, and Liam Acido, the brother of Growling Tigers guard Amiel. 

Lorenz Cinco from UST’s junior high school basketball program will also join the team.  

In the preseason, these recruits helped the Tiger Cubs clinch the championship in the Asiabasket Youth League and Sulit Breakdown Basketball tournaments along with playoff runs in the PinoyLiga Cup and the Next Generation Basketball League.

“Maganda ‘yong naging results ng preseason namin,” UST head coach Manu Iñigo told the Varsitarian. “Na-achieve namin ‘yong goals namin na mag-improve every game, so luckily naman may nakuha kaming championship and nakakarating kami sa Final Four.”

Iñigo said the experience of Gilas Youth players Joaquin Ludovice, Charles Esteban, and Carl Manding would be vital in setting up the relatively inexperienced Tiger Cubs for a Final Four run.

“Malaking factor ‘yong experience nilang laro na ishe-share nila sa teammates nila, at the same time, pagdating sa game, siyempre bawas na ‘yong kaba nila kasi nakapaglaro na sila sa higher levels pa,” he said.

“Sa mga pinakita naman nila nag-mature sila sa laro nila, ang laki nang na-improve din nila, pati ‘yong confidence mataas so sana this UAAP season, dala-dala nila ‘yon,” he added.

Iñigo said team captain Koji Buenaflor is prepared to step up and take on a larger role this season.

“‘Yong improvement kasi na napakita ni Koji medyo maganda kasi sumakto rin doon sa gusto naming sistem. Bumagay sa kanya ‘yong sistema kaya ngayon lumalabas ‘yong tunay na laro niya,” Iñigo said. 

The Tiger Cubs coach also urged the squad to draw inspiration from the results their junior counterparts showed in the UAAP junior high school basketball tournament, where UST reached the finals before bowing down to UE in three games.

“Ginawa ko ring challenge sa kanila ‘yon na kayo ‘yong mga kuya so dapat mas mapapakita niyo rin sa junior high level na ganoon talaga dapat, na dapat nasa finals tayo, na every year pinapakita natin sa lahat na tayo ay karapat-dapat sa finals,” Iñigo said.

With the goal of finally breaking UST’s 24-year title drought in juniors basketball, Iñigo emphasized that the Tiger Cubs would have to play every game as if the title depended on it. 

“We will treat every game as a championship game para pagdating namin sa Final Four mas ready kami and if ever makarating sa championship, at least ‘yong mindset namin nakapag-practice na kami sa championship game na ‘to, ready kami.”

The UST Tiger Cubs will begin their Season 87 campaign against the NUNS Bullpups at the Filoil EcoOil Centre on Sunday, Jan. 19., at 10 a.m.

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