A year away from the UAAP proved to be exactly what Rye Villaruz needed.
After making his debut for De La Salle Zobel in Season 87, the 6-foot-2 center stepped away from the league last season with one goal in mind: to get stronger, add weight, and return better prepared for his final 16-and-under campaign.
“I actually played in Season 87 already of junior high. I didn’t enroll last year. I took a gap year just to get stronger and to gain more weight,” he said.
The decision has paid off.
Villaruz has returned as one of the most productive scorers in the league, averaging 19.33 points on 49.41-percent shooting from the field, along with 9.33 rebounds through six games.
His 19.33-point scoring average is tied with NUNS Bullpup Jessy Arellano for the league lead.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
More importantly, Villaruz’s production has helped the Junior Archers make a significant turnaround after going winless in Season 88. DLSZ now owns a 4-2 record, tied for second in the standings heading into its penultimate game of the first round.
The big man delivered once again on Tuesday, powering La Salle past University of the East, 68-54, despite the Junior Archers struggling to find their rhythm in the opening half.
Villaruz finished with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting against the Junior Red Warriors to help DLSZ secure another important victory.
With only one season remaining in the 16U division, Villaruz knows exactly what he wants to accomplish before moving on.
“Here, now in Season 89, hopefully we can achieve our goal, which is to get that championship,” he said.
“It’s my last year in 16-under, so it would feel great, and it would feel like all of our hard work and all of our effort would finally pay off.”
