Acido eases into role and slowly proves worth
Amiel Acido entered the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers’ den with numerous expectations, which he humbly admitted to failing to fulfill in his rookie year last season in the UAAP.
He’s making up for that now, even after some confusion on which position he’ll play before Season 88.
“Heading into my second year, I had some difficulties with my spots at first,” he told the Inquirer. “I have managed to adjust well so far.”
Acido, the NCAA Season 99 high school MVP with Perpetual Help, has proven to be a vital cog for coach Pido Jarencio as they make their final push to safely advance to the Final Four with four games left, starting with their clash on Sunday with Far Eastern University.
Coming in to prove doubters wrong is nothing new to Acido, who helped the Baby Altas to the NCAA Finals against Letran in three games. He hopes to crown himself a winner in college while at Santo Tomas.
The Tigers need to check their skid in the 1:30 p.m. game slated at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. They are currently locked in a three-way tie for fourth spot, something very few expected to see at the point in the eliminations after Santo Tomas opened the season with victories over the two finalists last season.
“All of us want to win,” Acido, who has shown willingness to play it physical at the power forward spot, said. “We can’t avoid the physicality.”
Also in that tie is Ateneo, which faces bitter rival La Salle in the 4:30 p.m. contest, which both need to win.
The Green Archers, who lost the title last year to the University of the Philippines, are running third with a 6-4 record, a game behind the second-running Fighting Maroons.
After the Tamaraws, the Tigers still have University of the East, the Blue Eagles and No. 1-running National University left to close out their elimination round stint.
Still plenty of games left for Acido to continue proving his mettle and get closer to a dream of winning a UAAP title.
