On the Verge
UAAP Season 77
Record: 10-4 (2nd – Eliminated in finals)
Offense: 74.4 ppg (3rd)
Defense: 70.3 ppg (5th)
Rebounds: 42.4 rpg (3rd)
Assists: 15.7 apg (1st)
Pomp and Circumstance
Anthony Hargrove, Carl Cruz, Jason David, Joel Lee Yu, Jeson Delfinado, Reeve Ugsang, Augus Denilla
Depth Chart
| C | PF | SF | SG | PG |
| Escoto, Russell (4th) | Jose, Reymar (4th) | Belo, Mac (4th) | Tolomia, Mike (5th) | Inigo, Achie (4th) |
| Orizu, Prince (1st) | Escoto, Richard (2nd) | Pogoy, Roger (5th) | Tamsi, Alfrancis (5th) | Trinidad, Jojo (3rd) |
| Ebona, Barkley (1st) | Holmqvist, Steve (1st) | Arong, Monbert (4th) | Comboy, Wendell (1st) | |
| Holmqvist, Ken (1st) | Dennison, Ron – INJ (3rd) |
Assessment
It’s unbelievable that the Far Eastern University Tamaraws last won the men’s basketball crown ten years ago.
During that stretch, the Tamaraws, except for their horrendous Season 70 run, had always been one of the favorites to win the championship. As we pointed out in last season’s Starter Pack, the school has always been consistent in providing the right material that their coaching staff needs especially in the guard position. During those ten years, the point guard factory has produced three top-notch floor generals that have established their marks in the PBA: Mark Barroca, RR Garcia, and, of course, Terrence Romeo.
“Close” is the word that perfectly describes the Nash Racela-era. During his first two years at the helm, his Tamaraws compiled 10-4 regular season records. Moreover, the Tamaraws returned to the UAAP Finals last season after a losing to Ateneo in Season 73. However, after taking Game 1, FEU dropped the next two games with the third game being a blowout victory for the National University Bulldogs.
With the majority of his crew carrying over to this season, Nash Racela and the Tamaraws are THE perennial favorites to win it all this year. Moreover, they have four PBA-ready players in their lineup in Mac Belo, Mike Tolomia, Russell Escoto, and Roger Pogoy.
The beauty in having those four guys in the line-up is that it gives any coach flexibility as they are multi-position guys.
The team could go extra big with this line up:
| C | PF | SF | SG | PG |
| Prince Orizu | Russell Escoto | Mac Belo | Roger Pogoy | Mike Tolomia |
Go small:
| C | PF | SF | SG | PG |
| Reymar Jose | Mac Belo | Roger Pogoy | Mike Tolomia | Achie Inigo |
Or go into overdrive: (The vintage three guard Nash Racela-lineup)
| C | PF | SF | SG | PG |
| Russell Escoto | Mac Belo | Mike Tolomia | Monbert Arong | Achie Inigo |
The possibilities are endless in lineup tinkering with the roster FEU has right now and this will drive coaches nuts all throughout the season.
X-Factor: Roger Pogoy
We all know that Belo and Tolomia will get their usual numbers day-in and day-out while Escoto will consistently crash the boards. Pogoy, though, was the missing piece from a what-could-have-been. Pogoy was a steady force during the regular season 8.5PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 2.0APG. He stepped up his game during Game 1 of the finals in scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. However, he shot just 1/11 in Game 2 and played just 15 minutes in the championship-clinching match.
Pogoy, if he is locked in, can be one of the best defenders in the game. In addition, he sees the court well and can easily score at ease with his size. A focused Pogoy playing for the FEU Tamaraws will be hard to stop.
Best Case: 12-2 (UAAP Champion)
Worst Case: 10-4 (Loses in Finals, Coach Nash Racela leaves for Ateneo)
| UAAP Season 78 Men’s Basketball Starter Pack |
| Let’s Rebuild Every Year! | Taking Flight for One Last Time |
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| Hauling the Best of the Class | On the Verge |
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| Underdogs Once Again | Replicating the House of Chaos |
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| Kevin and Karim’s One Last Chance | The Dark Horse |
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| UAAP Season 78 Women’s Basketball Starter Pack |
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| The Ultimate UAAP Season 78 Basketball First Round Schedule |
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