THE BIG boys are gone, but if there’s one thing this season’s Tigers are not lacking, it’s fighting spirit.
Coach Pido Jarencio described his wards as one hungry pack whose intense desire could make up for their relative inexperience as a team and low ceiling.
But conscious of the handicap, he made no prediction on whether UST could finally make a return trip to the Final Four and ultimately get the job done.
“Even if we’re undersized, these players are fighters—they refuse to quit,” he said in Filipino.
Jarencio was apparently getting his confidence from the way his crew performed in pre-UAAP tune-ups during the summer. He particularly saw promise when UST, fielding a small lineup, barged into the finals of the 2009 Millennium Basketball League (MBL).
The MBL was no inter-barangay tilt. It’s the real deal where the Tigers got to compete with ex-PBA stalwarts. At the very least, Jarencio said the experience was invaluable.
“(The players’) advantage is their heart. They keep on fighting. They have pride and they refuse to lose,” he said.
The ghosts of the recent past are not lost in the Tigers.
Following an unexpected title three years ago, their performance in the next two seasons—both failed attempts at either reaching the Final Four or the championship—gave critics the idea that the Cinderella run was a fluke.
But their character, fighting spirit, and resolve were all evident in those heartbreakers.
“We are ready,” Jarencio vowed. “We are a mature team now.”
Departures
Reality check. This year’s lineup will be without Season 70 MVP Jervy Cruz, point guard Japs Cuan, sniper Francis Allera, and dependable quarterbacks Mark Canlas and Chester Taylor. Simply put, UST’s relative height advantage in the past is gone.
The void is particularly big with the departure of Cruz. He ended his three-year campaign with 837 points and 671 rebounds in 1,530 minutes of action.
Cuan was UST’s Shaq from the freethrow line, but was a reliable court general. Allera, Canlas, and Taylor all combined for 18.3 points per game and 14.4 rebounds per game last season—a decent showing from role players.
Also out of commission are Carlos Fenequito, Emilian Vargas, and Jackson Wong.
What’s now left of the Tigers is a precarious mix of old hands and promising rookies.
Last season’s second leading scorer and rebounder Dylan Ababou (15.4 ppg and 6.6 rpg), Season 70 rookie revelation Khasim Mirza, and big man Christopher Camus will all have to step up.
Sophomore Allein Maliksi is back from an ACL injury.
“(They) have really matured,” Jarencio said of his veterans. “Their minds are set on winning.”
The coach has high hopes from rookies like Jeric Teng, Darry Green, and Aljon Mariano. (See sidebar)
“These boys will be a big help to the team,” he said. “They know how to play, read the game, and react on particular situations. They’re smart. They know how to work the system.”
No promises
This season’s Tigers are generally healthy unlike the injury-plaque crew of last year.
Credit goes to professors and interns from Sports Science, who facilitated weight training and plyometric (an exercise designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system) for the team.
“I will not promise anything. But I’ll make sure that we are well prepared this season and we won’t let victory slip away that easily,” Jarencio said.
