National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Most Valuable Player Allen Liwag and Tony Ynot are ready to make the most out of their stint with the Strong Group Athletics squad that will be competing in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship starting tomorrow.

Liwag, who was also named the NCAA Season 100 Defensive Player of the Year, said learning from four-time National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star DeMarcus Cousins helped him be more agile and alert inside the court.

The College of Saint Benilde big man was part of last year’s Strong Group squad that fell to defending champion Al Riyadi of Lebanon in the gold medal match, 74-77, last year,

“I was starstruck on the first training day he’s in. I just did my work after Day 1 to show what I can do,” said Liwag, one of the country’s most promising big men in the amateur ranks.

“I want to improve my decision-making, outside shooting, and ball-handling. I want to bring out my game that we learned in Saint Benilde and how to elevate my teammates.”

Liwag had the privilege of learning under NBA champion Dwight Howard last year and greatly improved his game in his first season with Saint Benilde.

He averaged 14.61 points, 11.28 rebounds, 2.33 assists, and 1.22 blocks to be the fourth Blazer since Sunday Salvacion in 2002, Jay Sagad in 2005, and Will Gozum in 2022, to win the biggest individual prize in the country’s oldest collegiate league.

Unfortunately for him, Saint Benilde fell to Mapua University in their best-of-three championship series last December.

Another Blazer soaking in the Dubai experience is Ynot.

The NCAA Season 100 Mythical Team member told DAILY TRIBUNE he is getting pointers from Filipino-American guard Mikey Williams for tips on how to better read the situation inside the court.

Before playing for the TNT Tropang Giga in the Philippine Basketball Association, Williams played for Tiu in Mighty Sport where they won the 41st William Jones Cup in 2020 and the Dubai International Basketball Championship in 2020.

“He brings a lot of experience to the team and he’s really good. I would always ask him for advice on how to be a point guard,” Ynot said.

“He told me that I need to know where my teammates are because the point guard is the court general and maximizes where they are.”

Strong Group, bannered by Cousins, will begin its campaign on Friday at 11 p.m. (Manila time) against the United Arab Emirates.