University of Santo Tomas did not have its ideal Season 86 in men’s basketball, finishing at the bottom for the second straight year with a 2-12 record.
One of the Growling Tigers who truly bore the brunt of angry and frustrated UST supporters was Paul Manalang, a third-year point guard.
However, despite all the criticisms hurled at him, Manalang remained defiant and stood as one of the team’s pillars in this shaky season.
“Well, natural naman ‘yun eh. Hindi nawawala ‘yung mga bashers. So ayan, basta ako kung ano ‘yung role na ibibigay sa akin ni coach, ia-accept ko lang,” said Manalang after the Tigers’ final game, a 57-53 win over Far Eastern University.
“Patuloy ko pa rin na ili-lead ‘yung mga kasama ko. Sasamahan ko sila kahit anong mangyari, win or lose. Nandito ako para sa kanila,” added the 24-year-old guard, who was named captain for this season.
The 5-foot-9 playmaker saw a minor dip in his stats compared to his Season 85 numbers, despite his team having a worse record at 1-13.
Last year, Manalang averaged 4.53 points, 2.69 rebounds, and 2.84 assists.
Meanwhile, in their recently concluded campaign, he produced 3.64 points, 2.64 rebounds, and 2.71 assists.
But the more glaring dip in his numbers was his plus-minus, which is an indicator of his effect on the team while he was on the floor.
During the one-year Bal David era in UST, Manalang was a minus-81 in his minutes inside the court while the Tigers were outscored by 190 in the 14 games.
This season, Manalang was a minus-124, the third-worst on the team, while the Tigers were a minus-188.
The Nazareth School of National University product will have one more year of eligibility for UST, giving him one more chance to redeem himself to the school’s supporters.
While the more senior player next year, Manalang looks forward to learning from younger guards about to enter the Tigers’ lair.
Forthsky Padrigao and Kyle Paranada transferred from Ateneo and UE, respectively, to UST and will make their much-awaited debut next season.
“Siyempre excited ako kasi kilala naman natin si Forth, last season champion yung bata na ‘yun saka Mythical Five ‘yun so ‘yung experience non saka ni Kyle Paranada mashi-share din nila sa akin,” said Manalang.
“At least may makukuha ako sa kanila, may maiimprove ako sa sarili ko na galing sa kanila.”
Padrigao was a key piece during the Blue Eagles’ championship run last season, averaging 11.0 points, 4.36 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.36 steals during the elimination round.
Meanwhile, Paranada had numbers of 11.64 points, 4.21 assists, 2.86 rebounds, and 1.64 steals for the Red Warriors in Season 85.
Surely, Manalang and the two incoming guards can take notes from each other as the Growling Tigers aim to improve their standings next year, as promised by head coach Pido Jarencio in the post-game interview against FEU.
