Working vacation
Unbeaten in the young Season 89 of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons are well aware of how the complicated schedule in the first part of the season could mess up their rhythm.
That’s why coach Goldwin Monteverde is making sure that his charges remain sharp, their collective focus still on the task at hand even if a huge chunk of the country is watching its national athletes campaign in the 20th Asian Games in Japan.
“As we go along the season, whatever we can improve on, we will work on for the improvement [during the break],” Monteverde said as his squad gained a full week off after their authoritative win over Ateneo last Saturday.
“We also have in mind that this is just the second game, we can’t be complacent.”
Up next will be National U, a side that is raring to prove itself with a new core after the departure of Jake Figueroa, Steve Nash Enriquez and Jolo Manansala, who have all graduated.
That match is slated for Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, with the Bulldogs having a chip on their shoulders as a younger nucleus will try to sustain their lofty billing as perennial title threats.
Reinhard Jumamoy is leading this current pack of Bulldogs.
No reason to fail
“Us being young and losing a lot of our previous players are not reasons anymore at this point,” Jumamoy said in Filipino after National U’s 76-56 rout of the University of the East Red Warriors. “Our coaches always remind us to always be poised in our games.”
Jumamoy played like an experienced veteran against UE after finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
The third-year guard is looking to step up for the role left behind by Enriquez, who served as the Bulldogs’ premier point guard during his stay at Jocson.
Seasoned big man Kenshin Padrones is also hoping that their win against UE silences at least some of the comments made about their young squad.
“This is such a big boost for us for our next games because we came off a bad loss,” Padrones said, pertaining to NU’s loss to La Salle on opening day.
The Maroons also have a younger core with the departure of their famed “Maroon 5,” with Gani Stevens. The third-year bruiser, now stepping up to be the prime big man of the squad, which he hopes to lead together with Veejay Pre and Noy Remogat.
“Coach mentioned to us that we have to fully utilize the gaps of the first few weeks [to keep on improving],” the 6-foot-7 Stevens told the Inquirer. “We have to take advantage of those, we have to take our time and sustain ourselves after these big wins.”
The Fighting Maroons have split the titles with La Salle in the past few seasons with a squad built around JD Cagulangan, Francis Lopez, Zavier Lucero and Carl Tamayo, among others.
Those players have since gone on to lucrative professional careers and left a crew that will try to come up with a legacy of its own starting this season.
