It was hard for guard Mark Gojo Cruz to leave University of Perpetual Help System Dalta.

Back when he was still playing in the juniors, head coach Olsen Racela had his eyes on the Season 99 Rookie of the Year in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Making it even more difficult for Gojo Cruz to transfer to another school was the fact that practically his entire family was a big fan of Racela.

“Even before the NCAA Season 99 juniors started, he met me and my family. He told me all of his plans for me. He really wanted me to be a good player,” Gojo Cruz said after scoring 20 points in the Altas’ 69-67 win over Arellano University last Friday.

“It’s really nice because my dad and my brothers idolize coach Olsen. That’s why we were able to decide to stay because he’s a legend and we’re both guards.”

The Santa Maria, Bulacan native is now one of the key pieces in the Altas’ campaign along with veterans JP Boral, Christian Pagaran, and John Abis in the NCAA as they currently hold a 2-0 win-loss record.

With Perpetual taking on Season 99 finalist Mapua University today at 2:30 p.m., Racela said Gojo Cruz still has a lot of chances to strut his stuff.

“I saw him since high school playing against players his age. Now, he’s doing the same stuff against players five years older than him, it just shows the potential Gojo has,” Racela said.

“But there is still a lot of room for him to grow. He hasn’t fully grasped the system yet but that’s part of learning.”

In due time, Racela expects Gojo Cruz to live up to his expectations.