Jorem Morada had been about to have a breakout season a year ago.
The 21-year-old gunslinger had been averaging 5.33 markers — including a personal-high of 18 points against the defending champions Letran Knights — 3.78 rebounds, and 1.89 assists through the first round of the 91st Season of the NCAA tournament. However, as his playing time dwindled, so did his relationship with former EAC head coach Andy de Guzman.
By the start of the second round, Morada had packed his bags and decided to just go home
The EAC senior was surprised to receive a phone call from new head coach Ariel Sison, a former dean of the school’s IT department, last December. “Tumawag si coach Ariel sa akin, sabi niya, ‘balik ka, balik ka kasi kelangan ka ng team at last year mo na rin kaya laruin mo na ‘to,'” Morada shared to Tiebreaker Times.
As he returned to Paco, Manila, the 21-year-old reflected on why he had gone to Manila to be a student-athlete. “Nung pagbalik ko, napaisip ako na gusto ko talagang maglaro. May aim talaga ako na maging PBA player,” he reflected.
“So nag-work hard ako. Seven months kami nag-training bago umabot yung season na ito.”
Moreover, he added that his relationship with Coach Sison has been more of a father-son partnership rather than a coach-to-player, and that has gave him the confidence to push through. “Si Coach Andy [De Guzman] at si Coach Ariel talagang magkaiba. Si Coach Ariel, malaki ang binibigay niya sa akin na kumpiyansa hindi kagaya ng kay coach Andy na hindi ganun,” he said. “Laki talaga ng tiwala niya sa akin at na-appreciate ko ‘yun.”
In their first game of the NCAA season, Morada gave his new mentor the ultimate gift that he could give: a win in his NCAA debut.
“This season talaga, kealngan ko talaga magstep-up kasi last ko na. Kelangan talaga sipagan lalo at kulang pa ito.”
Besides his dream of making it to the professional level, he also had another motive as he made his way back to EAC. “Gusto ko maging graduate student din sa EAC,” the Hotel and Restaurant Management major added. “Pag hindi ko makuha yung aim ko, at least nakapag-graduate ako.”
