When the San Beda Red Lions celebrate their 20th NCAA title, I am sure quite a few people will be shaking the hand of head coach Jamike Jarin. They’ll pat his back, take a bunch of selfies, toast a bottle of beer, and say, “Good job coach! You’re alright!”
Jarin will resist the temptation to smirk and offer a snide remark. He will take the high road, for he is a gentleman… once the game is done. Inside the locker room and during the game, he will cuss, cajole, sometimes even question one’s state of being. In fact, he once asked a young Kiefer Ravena in a rather snarky manner (after the Blue Eaglets star had lost his head and gone after an opponent, earning his first-ever technical foul in four years of juniors play), “Do you think you are God?”
Jarin had wanted to play with all his might for the Red Cubs and to be a star with them, but the basketball gods had other plans for him. What Jarin had was a brain that allowed him to read opposing teams like Potterheads take to JK Rowling’s novels.
Jamike has this mania for stopping teams. As such, he asks his squads to sometimes play seven types of defenses in one game. Yes, that is no exaggeration. If he could stop an opponent from crossing the mid-court line for the entire game, that would be his dream game.
Now last year’s San Beda team that lost to Letran? That wasn’t his team. No, it isn’t an excuse. And while that team had no business losing, they were a victim of their own success, believing they could turn it on any time they wanted.
These Red Lions? They are in Jarin’s likeness. An extension of his basketball philosophy. When I look at them, they are like his Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eaglets (when he coached them once upon a time) on steroids. One that will press you into oblivion. They’re are deep, talented, fast, athletic. They exemplify his belief that “speed kills”.
But back to the unbelievers.
Jarin has seen this before when he was head coach of the Blue Eaglets in the UAAP Juniors. During his first year as head coach, they were one three-point shot away from taking control of the series versus De La Salle Zobel, when one of the latter’s best three-point shooters was inexplicably left open. They lost. And who didn’t question his chops then when all he did was cuss, wax philosophical, and get mad at seemingly every single set?
It was more of the same after San Beda had lost to Letran last season, lost in the quarterfinals of the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup, and lost a bunch of games heading into the homestretch of this NCAA season.
There is, however, a method to Jarin’s bluster. He challenges his players and his assistants to be really good. Many also credit his defensive schemes for helping push Talk ‘N Text to the top in the PBA. As for his mind games, he will squeeze every ounce of talent he can from his players. He will play mind games, such as the time last season during the pre-season when he pulled out all his starters and second five, leaving the third unit in the game to nurse a 20-point lead against those same Knights that would go on to win the NCAA title.
If you are a Bedan who had been in the crowd that day, it was harrowing as Letran cut into that lead. None of the starters were sent back to the fray as Jarin stuck to the benchwarmers. San Beda won the game. By a whisker. Inside the locker room, he said, that he did it on purpose because he would need the bench to step up come the NCAA season. Sound, right? Not to most Bedans who want to win every single game and every single tournament. But Jarin looked to the future.
This past summer, after a bad loss, he called out Cameroonian center Arnaud Noah. “Nunu, I am disappointed in you,” said Jarin. “I selected you for a reason and that is your energy. It looks like I need to supply you with energy when you are the one supposed to supply the team with energy.”
After Donald Tankoua went down with an injury and San Beda looked mortal, many wondered why it hadn’t been the other reinforcement that he lined up instead of Noah.
Eugene Toba was cut from the line-up in favor of Arnaud Noah
Yet it was Noah’s explosiveness, scoring, and assists that helped wrap up this title over Arellano. Plus, he was the Finals’ Most Valuable Player.
That he was questioned for playing small and at a frenetic pace? His boys simply ran roughshod over Jio Jalalon and company.
And now he’s a champion coach at the collegiate level.
Give Jamike Jarin his due. Selfies with the man are all right.
