Hungry Tigers ready for war
COLLINS Akowe is expected to serve as a tower of power when the UST Growling Tigers seek to end their two-decade title drought in Season 89 UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
Photograph courtesy of UAAP
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COLLINS Akowe is expected to serve as a tower of power when the UST Growling Tigers seek to end their two-decade title drought in Season 89 UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
Photograph courtesy of UAAP
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University of Santo Tomas (UST) is keeping its expectations in check despite being tagged as the team to beat entering Season 89 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.
Coming off another Final Four appearance last season, Growling Tigers coach Pido Jarencio said they remain focused on the task at hand as they seek a third straight trip to the semifinals.
“We’re ready for this UAAP. Kaya maghanda kayo,” said Jarencio, whose wards will open its campaign against the University of the Philippines on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, tells the opposing coaches during the pre-tournament press briefing on Tuesday.
“For us, our focus is one game at a time. We had a great run in our preseason tournaments and even had a training camp in Japan.”
Despite the departure of veterans Nic Cabañero and Forthsky Padrigao, who have exhausted their playing years, Jarencio believes the Tigers have enough players ready to take on bigger responsibilities as they continue their bid to end a two-decade title drought.
“Actually, we have a lot of players who will step up after Padrigao and Cabañero. Mark Llemit, Amiel Acido, Gelo Crisostomo and Collins Akowe. The boys are really hungry,” Jarencio said.
“The preseason we had was focused on building chemistry. The team is ready.”
UST made a lot of noise during the offseason as it reached the quarterfinals of the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup and pushed Letran College to the limit before falling, 102-103, in overtime.
The Tigers also captured the PinoyLiga Cup: The Big Dance title last August after crushing the Precious Momowei-led Centro Escolar University, 81-60.
But perhaps UST’s biggest statement came in the AsiaBasket NSAC World Invitational, where it reached the championship battle against a field composed of local and international teams.
The Tigers defeated Japan’s Tenri University, 88-65, in the quarterfinals before surviving Jose Rizal University, 97-92, in double overtime in the semifinals.
UST eventually fell to former Fighting Maroon Francis Lopez and the Fighting Eagles Nagoya, 92-93, in the final, but it showed its potential after going toe-to-toe with the Japan B.League One squad.
Now, the hungry Tigers hope to translate their productive offseason into another deep UAAP run as they try to end a two-decade title drought.
