A LOT is expected of University of Santo Tomas (UST) as it hosts the 79th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).
After all, the Growling Tigers are coming off a runner-up finish in Season 78 behind Far Eastern University (FEU), something that was unexpected.
But after hiring a new coach and losing three key players (Kevin Ferrer, Ed Daquioag and Karim Abdul), a cloud of doubt hovers over UST as it attempts to end a 10-year title drought.
“We’re not thinking about that [expectation]. We had only three months to prepare and what I can guarantee is we will be prepared each game,” Growling Tigers rookie Head Coach Boy Sablan said.
“Unlike the other teams, they’ve been preparing for a long time. But the players are very bright. They were able to pick up what I want to share in three months,” Sablan added.
Sablan replaced Bong de la Cruz. The former Tiger is not new to winning as he was part of Pido Jarencio’s coaching staff when they won the crown in 2006 against Ateneo de Manila.
Sablan is parading four rookies for this season—5-foot-8 guard Oliver de Guzman from National University, 6-foot-6 center William Afoakwah from Ghana, Filipino-Japanese Tsutomu Tateishi, an 18-year-old find from Ateneo de Davao, and 6-foot-4 high-leaper Jason Strait from Arellano University High School.
But the new coach is not expecting much from his rookies.
“Most of them are still raw. But they are role players,” said Sablan, who is pinning his hopes on team captain Louie Vigil and Kent Lao.
Vigil almost lost his eligibility after the league tried—but later withdrew and maintained the status quo—to set the age requirement for athletes from 25 to 24 early this year.
“Luckily, we have him back. He’s [Vigil] a veteran and he’s the leader of this team along with Kent Lao,” Sablan said.
UST honed in Taiwan and Cebu and Sablan said the exposure benefited his players, especially those who hardly played last season under de la Cruz.
Sablan said their goal for Season 79 is to reach the Final Four. He singled out De La Salle as the team to beat in the tournament, which kicks off with the opening ceremony on Saturday at the UST campus. The basketball games kick off on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
University of the Philippines will face Adamson University in the Sunday opener at 2 p.m. while UST and Ateneo collide in the main game at 4 p.m.