The National University Bulldogs, a year after ending the school’s 60-year title drought, are struggling to find their identity in the early-goings of the UAAP Men’s Basketball tournament.
Since taking over the helm, coach Eric Altamirano has never gone 0-2 to start a UAAP campaign. However, the team had just lost three key players from their championship campaign as Troy Rosario, Henry Betayene, and Glenn Khobuntin have all finished their duties Sampaloc-based squad.
Smart Elite ambassador and current team captain for the NU Bulldogs Gelo Alolino was left speechless with the current 0-2 start of his squad.
“Speechless, talo 0-2,” was all he could say to start the interview.
Alolino is currently averaging 19.5 points per game, 5.5 boards, and two dimes but majority of his points have come during the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs are currently averaging a league-low 11 points in the first quarter. The slow starts are currently hindering the squad’s momentum as the defending champions fell short in their comeback attempts against the Green Archers and the Red Warriors. “We need to have a good start, maintain it in the middle, and finish strong.”
For Alolino, the problem of the team is both on defense and on offense. “Defense. Di namin naimpose yung defense namin and we did not take care of the ball. We had 31 turnovers today,” he said with disappoinment.
After a players-only meeting after their game against the UE, a positive came out as he, together with his teammates promised each other to get back to basics. “Defense talaga yung kulang but positive naman ang kilabasan kasi we promised na gagawin namin ang best namin,” he remarked. “We have no choice. We have to bounce back and we can’t play a bad game like this again. More games pa naman.”
“There’s no room for negativity,” the Smart Elite ambassador closed.
