After navigating the post-Collins Akowe era with a solid 5-2 slate that earned them third place, National University Nazareth School faced a far tougher challenge to open the second round of the UAAP Season 88 Boys’ Basketball Tournament.
Fourth-year head coach Kevin de Castro dubbed their daunting three-game stretch the “Dangerous Three” — a run featuring Ateneo de Manila University, defending champion University of Santo Tomas, and league leader Far Eastern University-Diliman.
Rather than see it as a worst-case scenario, De Castro and the Bullpups welcomed the challenge. NUNS has already conquered two-thirds of the “Dangerous Three,” edging Ateneo 81-78 in a thrilling opener before cruising past UST with a 92-72, 20-point win.
“Coming into this game, yung gusto ko ma-achieve talaga ay yung first three games nga namin dito sa second round,” De Castro said last Sunday afternoon at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
“Tinatawag ko nga itong ‘Dangerous Three’ dahil, kumbaga, Ateneo number one, FEU number two, tapos yung UST defending champion.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Standing in their way now is FEU-D, currently atop the standings with an 8-1 record and a seven-game win streak led by MVP frontrunner Cabs Cabonilas, Marc Burgos, and Khean Esperanza.
A win against the Baby Tamaraws tomorrow, February 18, at the Filoil Centre would not only complete a sweep of the “Dangerous Three,” but also cement the Bullpups as serious contenders this season.
NUNS is now tied for second with Ateneo at 7-2, with one of their losses coming against FEU-D in a narrow 78-79 defeat on January 18 at the Blue Eagle Gym.
“Sabi ko sa kanila, malagpasan natin itong first three games, siguro, magiging maganda yung position namin. Kumbaga, nakukuha na namin yung bearings namin this season, so sana lang magtuloy-tuloy,” De Castro added.
Riding the momentum of a five-game win streak, De Castro aims to maintain the formula that has fueled NUNS’s mid-season surge: clear role acknowledgment, collective discipline, and playing as one cohesive unit.
Heroes abound for the Bullpups. Lead guard Shaun Lucido, Mot Matias, Malian center Moussa Diakite, Chad Cartel, and Kurl Figueroa are all capable of matching up with a deep FEU-D roster featuring Cabonilas, Burgos, Esperanza, JB Cagurungan, and Yosef Raneses.
“Dito ko masasabi na family ‘eh. We’re playing as a team. Wala kaming star player, pero napupunan kung sino ‘man yung ginagamit namin and at the same time, ginagampanan nila yung roles na binigay namin sa kanila,” De Castro shared.
“Yung task na ginagawa nila every game, talagang nagagawa nila kahit hindi nagso-score. Pero yung small things ‘eh na hindi nakikita sa stats, yun yung pinaka-crucial sa amin. Sana magtuloy-tuloy coming into FEU.”
For Lucido, who averages 16.44 points, 4.33 rebounds, 2.11 assists, and 0.78 steals over nine games, the key is the right mindset against FEU-D.
“Siguro dapat kailangan namin yung right mindset — yung wala masyadong iniisip, hindi masyadong gigil. ’Pag ginawa namin nang tama yung pinapagawa ni coach, malalagpasan namin ‘yon,” he said.
