Racela tips hat to cousin Escueta

Coaching cousins Yuri Escueta of San Beda University and Olsen Racela of University of Perpetual Help System Dalta found themselves on the opposite sides of the court over the weekend in their Season 100 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament game.

Believe it or not, it was the first time the two squared off and it was Escueta — not his more accomplished cousin — who ran away with the victory.

Still, Escueta admitted that he had to go the extra mile in securing the win.

“Familiarity as family, of course there is, but as a coach he always has something to pull out of his hat,” Escueta said.

“He has a lot of tactics. He did a zone, man-to-man, did a 1-3-1, 1-2-2, and a 2-3 formation. Those are the things you had to prepare for,” added Escueta, whose team totes a 5-3 win-loss card.

While technically a rookie coach in the NCAA, the nine-time Philippine Basketball Association champion has had his share of experience in the collegiate scene.

As the head coach of Far Eastern University from 2017 to 2022, Racela went to the Final Four three times.

He also had a hand in handling future Philippine Basketball Association stars such as Arvin Tolentino, Alec Stockton and RJ Abarrientos.

But the 53-year-old Barangay Ginebra San Miguel assistant coach acknowledged his cousin as the gold standard of the NCAA as they strive to do better after finishing the first round with a 4-5 record.

Perpetual shares the same record with host Lyceum of the Philippines University, putting them both in fifth place.

“They’re the defending champions and they have something we don’t have. That’s our motivation,” Racela said.

“He has a good program with him. I’m also learning from him and he’s doing very well.”

Mary Rose Racela, the mother of Olsen and his older brother Nash, was also in attendance at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

“That’s why Mama is watching today. I think she wants to watch her nephew more than me,” Racela said with a smile.