In doing more than Chambers expected, Pasaol is surprise MVP
For the second straight year, Far Eastern University coach Sean Chambers has cut diamonds out of what he’s been dealt.
Last season, the Tamaraws produced a UAAP Season 87 Rookie of the Year in Veejay Pre despite modest expectations surrounding the squad.
Pre has since moved on and will take his act somewhere else after improving at Far Eastern, and Chambers once again entered Season 88 with lowered expectations.
Much like last year, too, Chambers fashioned another star out of the rubble. This time, it was Janrey Pasaol, who emerged as the newest UAAP Most Valuable Player.
“With coach Sean, you really have to exceed expectations. He wasn’t called Mr. 100 Percent for nothing. You have to show him that you can do more,” Pasaol told the Inquirer on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
“He trusts me a lot, he trusts the team a lot. When he sees your potential, you have to exceed what he’s expecting from you.”
Chambers—once dubbed “Mr. 100 Percent” during his heyday as a PBA import—appears to apply the same standard to his coaching.
Last year, when FEU was projected to finish near the bottom, he pushed Pre to the top of the rookie class.
This season, despite falling short of a Final Four berth, Chambers again maximized what he had, pushing Pasaol to his limits and watching him collect individual hardware along the way.
But Chambers’ impact goes beyond player development.
“Coach Sean is just different,” Pasaol said. “He treats everyone like his real sons. He came from the US, he doesn’t really have a family here, so he gives all his trust to us.”
That familial approach has clearly resonated within the Tamaraws camp—though it has yet to translate into a Final Four appearance.
For Pasaol, who averaged 15.43 points, 7.5 assists, 4.14 rebounds and 2.14 steals per game to become FEU’s first MVP since Terrence Romeo in 2013, that breakthrough feels inevitable.
Last year: Rookie of the Year. This year: MVP. Next year?
“Maybe he produces a Final Four appearance for us,” Pasaol said with a laugh.
“That’s always been our target. Whatever we’re getting now—these awards—they’re just bonuses.”
FEU wrapped up Season 88 with a 7–7 record, finishing just one win shy of a playoff spot.
