During the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers’ recent win against the De La Salle Green Archers, one of the standout performances that made it possible was the solid contribution of back-up floor general Marvin Lee.
During the said game, Lee was all over the place as he dropped 13 points, including four triples made and three rebounds. In addition, he also nailed a couple of big shots in the final quarter after he swished in a go-ahead triple at the 4:29 and 3:51 mark respectively.
“Suwerte lang ako ngayon siguro,” Lee said when asked about the big shots he made. “Parang inisip ko lang iyong dati kong laro noong juniors nilaro ko lang. Tapos iyon, pumanik iyong tinitira kong three points. Noong naka-shoot ako ng isa, nabuo ang kumpiyansa ko.”
Furthermore, Lee also credits the veteran savvy of his team’s seniors like Kevin Ferrer, Ed Daquioag, and Karim Abdul in honing his craft. Being a rookie and all, the presence of the said players eased his transition to the more physical demands of collegiate basketball.
“Sobrang laki kasi [ng presence nila at] ang daming kong experiences na nakukuha sa kanila,” Lee remarked. “Kahit mga simpleng idea lang, naibibigay nila sa court. Sabi nila wag lang din akong magmadali [sa development ko].”
When asked about what makes him every effective when being deployed, he remarked that his most useful skill gained so far this season is learning how to be a serviceable defender.
Given that their team doesn’t have the luxury of depth like seasons past, UST is solidly collecting wins through defense. Their offense may be sporadic at times, but Lee affirms that their efforts on defense make up for it and that is why they currently lead the league with a 7-1 card.
“Iniisip ko na lang kasi sabi ni coach mag-enjoy lang kami sa defense. Dahil sa defense kaya din ako nagagamit,” Lee quipped. “Iniisip ko enjoy ko muna ang defense kasi ang score dadating din sa akin iyan.”
