Even with the University of the East’s Final Four hopes out of reach, Red Warriors skipper John Abate still found a reason to breathe a sigh of relief ahead of his final four games in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
After serving a three-game suspension for an unsportsmanlike foul during UE’s loss to De La Salle University last October 15, fiery shooting guard Wello Lingolingo finally made his long-awaited return to the Red Warriors’ lineup.
And Abate described his presence as both a relief and a reminder of what his young team could have been with its full arsenal intact.
While the return of his “partner in crime” was spoiled by a narrow 74–78 defeat to Ateneo de Manila University — a loss that officially eliminated UE from Final Four contention for the XXth straight year — Abate chose to focus on the silver lining: getting to play alongside all his teammates as his two-year UAAP career nears its end.
“It’s definitely great, you know, it takes the pressure off of me a little bit. He’s my partner in crime, I miss[ed] my brother. And I’m excited to have him come back for the next couple of games too,” Abate told reporters on Wednesday evening at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
“It definitely hurts to not be able to play in that contention anymore. But not even just with Wello, but playing with all my brothers, you know, it’s something I look forward to each and every day,” he added.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
From a captain’s perspective, Abate noted that Lingolingo didn’t waste his time during the three-game suspension — instead, he took the opportunity to grow both physically and mentally.
Eager to make up for lost time, the 21-year-old guard not only kept himself in peak condition but also developed into a more vocal leader. It’s something UE badly needs as it tries to end a 16-game losing streak dating back to the second round of Season 87.
“Wello definitely learned how to be more of a vocal leader. Especially leading at practice and not only just being there on the sideline, but also being in our scout team for being able to represent, you know, the best scorer or the best shooter. He really helped the players who don’t get that much playing time — really leading them and making sure that they do their part,” the Filipino-American guard said.
“He’s definitely been putting in extra work, spending more time in the weight room, being able to rehabilitate his body. But on the court or in practice, he was definitely more vocal and also representing the other team’s best shooter or best scorer. And that’s what really got us ready. So on and off the court, he’s really stepped up in that position and also being more vocal.”
With Lingolingo back in the fold and head coach Chris Gavina set to return from a four-game suspension on Saturday, Abate guaranteed that the Red Warriors will continue to play with a chip on their shoulder as they chase their first win in over 375 days.
“I feel like we’ve been doing that all season long, but definitely has more of a chip on our shoulder. We definitely want to end the season with a win. And hopefully we can do that for the next four games,” he concluded.
