Joseph Nalos gained national notoriety during the 2012 Philippine Collegiate Champions League tournament playing for the Southwestern University Cobras.
Nalos was part of the SWU squad that helped in the resurgence of the school’s basketball program together with Ben Mbala. However, majority of the collegiate basketball fans remember that one game during the PCCL Final Four wherein the squad almost took down the mighty San Beda Red Lions.
On one rainy November afternoon, the Cebu-based squad, representing the CESAFI in the tournament, obliterated a 20 point lead to come within a solitary point, 73-72, with 12 seconds to go. The troika of Ben Mbala (now with DLSU), Monbert Arong (now with FEU), and Nalos all contributed to the turnaround. Nalos, for some reason, just dribbled the time away much to the dismay of Head Coach “Yayoy” Alcoseba.
Three years later, the spitfire floor general has found a home in San Marcelino with the Adamson Soaring Falcons. With the departure of Axel Inigo to the FEU Tamaraws, and the graduation of Ryan Monteclaro, the former Cobra has become the elder statesman of a young Adamson Falcon squad.
“Siyempre ako ang naiwan from last year, lalo nawala si Axel (Inigo). Malaki ang kawalan ni Axel sa team, kasi si Axel beteranong point guard. Madami ang na-impart niya na knowledge sa akin,” a grateful Nalos reflected.
After averaging a paltry 3.5 points, 31.4% on field goals, and just 1.4 assists per game on 14 minutes of game time last season, the defacto general of the Falcons has upped his averages to 14 points, 52.9% shooting, and 5 assists. “Yung Nalos na nakikita ninyo ngayon, ayun ang Nalos na hinahanap namin last year. Siyempre Nalos last year is a rookie-veteran, pero he took it as a burden last year kaya hindi niya kaagad nakita,” current Adamson mentor, Mike Fermin, said about his guard.
Nalos confessed that the style of game in the UAAP is different from the style of play in the CESAFI. “May kaibahan talaga, kasi kailangan maging team player ka. Sa Cebu kasi 1 on 1 ang laro, pero dito kailangan maging team player . Lalo ikaw ang nagdadala ng bola as a point guard,” he said.
Despite dropping their first three games, the youngest team in the UAAP today has fought valiantly against their opponents. In their game against Ateneo, the Falcons went toe-to-toe with the Katipunan cagers in the first half before crumbling down in the latter half. “Hindi namin nagawa ang gameplan namin. Nawala ang intensity namin after noong first half. Tinakbuhan namin ang Ateneo pero noong second half hindi namin nagawa iyon,” was his assessment of their second game. It was more of the same in their tilt against the UE Red Warriors, as the pressing defense of the Pumaren-mentored squad caused panic to the Falcons according to Nalos.
After suffering three setbacks, Nalos and the Falcons are promising the Adamson faithful that they will give their all, especially against La Salle this Sunday. “Gagawin namin ang pinapagawa ni coach sa practice, pati na rin ang gameplan lalo galing din sa talo ang La Salle.”
Finally, when asked what he wants to impart to the plethora of rookies and sophomores the team has right now, he simply answered: intensity.
“Yung intensity. Dapat ang intensity na ginagawa ko dapat ginagawa din nila para sabay-sabay kami aangat.”
