Before competing in the pro ranks for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Mapua Cardinals playmaker Josan Nimes wants to end his NCAA career on a high note.
“It makes it more important that I have never been in the Final Four. It would be the perfect send-off. The school has done a lot for me and I want to give back,” Nimes, who scored 13 points and added 8 assists in Mapua’s 91-69 win over EAC, shared.
Nimes added the team already satisfied expectations after going 12-6 in the elimination round, a vast improvement from their 6-30 record in the last two seasons.
But he does not want to stop as the opportunity does not get any closer. The Cardinals shall battle the Arellano Chiefs on Tuesday for the last spot in the Season 91 Final Four.
“Even if we don’t make it to the Final Four we already surpassed or succeeded expectations that we had for this year. If we make it or not, we will be disappointed but overall we will be happy if given the opportunity, we won’t waste it,” he said.
Nimes is tipped to be the leader of the Cardinals come the decisive moments, although he is grateful to have plenty of support around him.
We have all our rookies stepping up and Allwell who would probably be the MVP. It takes the pressure off me for scoring. The coaches told me I should be leading this team in playmaking. The team plays better when I get my teammates involved,” he shared.
Heading into their must-win game, Nimes says the young Intramuros-based squad will rely on the maturity they developed in the first round.
“Those games we lost (in the first round) were not wasted games but learning experiences. So in the second round our players knew what to do. They really helped us (gain maturity),” he said.
“Besides our loss to Beda, I think we are very confident with what we are doing and our coaches put a lot of trust in us.”
