DEBUTING coach Pido Jarencio has one thing in mind: extinguish the flames of despair that have lingered in the Tiger’s lair for the past three years.
And with the numbers at his grasp, Jarencio has every reason to underscore the Tigers’ Final Four chances when the UAAP Season 69 cage wars start this July.
“We are more prepared and more focused this time because we have trained hard in the off-season, and we are one of the more seasoned teams in the league today,” Jarencio told the Varsitarian.
After hogging the cellar in Season 68 with 10 losses, the Tigers, who surrendered an average of 79.4 points to their opponents, aim to lessen their 23.4 turnover average, the second highest in the league last season. Jarencio said the Tigers will use a tougher backcourt trapping defense to complement their run-and-gun style of play coupled with inside penetrations.
“Our concern is to limit our opponents’ scoring,” Jarencio said. “If we can disrupt their offense right from the start, the better.”
In their four wins last season, the Tigers had posted a slim winning margin of 5.25 points, proof of their inability to sustain momentum and keep to the lead down the stretch. Before whipping Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles in the second round, the Tigers squandered a 22-point lead in the third quarter, allowing the Eagles to close the count at 74-72.
This season, however, Jarencio assured that the Tigers have matured enough to handle the pressure from both ends of the court.
“All of them (Tigers) have learned to quickly adjust to every situation because they have been playing together for long,” Jarencio said of his wards, who placed third in the Fr. Martin’s Cup last year.
Old reliables
After a one-year hiatus, returning veteran Jemal Vizcarra, who was dropped to Team-B last year due to academic deficiencies, is expected to fuel the Tigers’ offensive arsenal from the outside.
“The team has been familiar with Jemal’s Vizcarra ability. His return to the lineup will not create problems as far as teamwork is concerned,” Jarencio said.
Vizcarra will be teaming up with swingman Jojo Duncil, who netted 12.9 markers in 13 outings for UST last season to provide the spark for the lackluster Tigers. Sophomore Dylan Ababou, who consistently delivered off-the-bench firepower for UST in his rookie year, was the team’s best field goal shooter (63.83 per cent), while Allan Evangelista was the most efficient Tiger on the three-point arc, hitting 18 of 48 attempts for a decent 37.5 per cent clip.
Hauling down a third-worst 43.2 rebounds per game (rpg), UST, which could only boast an average ceiling of 6’3” in its previous campaign, will get a lift from rookie Jhervy Cruz, whose burly frame and mobility are expected to inject more muscle on the Tigers’ inside game, offensively and defensively.
“Jhervy Cruz will be a force to reckon with in the UAAP,” Jarencio said.
Aside from Cruz, Jarencio also pins his hopes on Francis Allera, who paced the Tigers in rebounding in the last season (5.8 rpg), Chester Taylor, and Jun Dizon in manning the paint.
“We may have been soft last season, but I am optimistic that the team has grown a lot in terms of skills and character,” Jarencio said.
