Roger Pogoy was nothing but grateful when asked what he felt about his rookie season in the pro ranks, which abruptly ended Sunday after he and the TNT Katropa were booted out by the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the 2017 Governor’s Cup semis.
“Sobrang thankful ko sa naipakita ko this season, kasi ‘di ko takaga in-expect na ganito kaganda at ganito kalaki yung playing time na makukuha ko,” shared the 24-year-old.
The pride of Minglanilla, Cebu was impressive in his maiden campaign, becoming a vital part of the Texters team as he helped the team appear in two semis and in a finals bout. That alone, for Pogoy, is already an achievement.
“Sobrang saya ko kasi first year ko pa lang, nagka-Finals na ‘ko tsaka dalawang semis. Achievement na yun para sa’kin,” expressed Pogoy.
“Yung championship darating din yan sa tamang panahon. Si Lord na bahala kung kailan.”
With the way he showcased his skills, Pogoy is in the running for the Rookie of the Year award — his stats and TNT’s mileage this season are all enough to strengthen his case. But for him, winning the plum is come-what-may.
“Nandoon din naman sila Jio [Jalalon] saka si Matthew Wright. Si Lord na lang bahala kung ibibigay niya sa’kin,” said Pogoy, who had 23.06 statistical points after the Governor’s Cup eliminations.
“Tignan na lang natin kung kanino.”
And whether he wins the award or not, the one-time UAAP champion with the Far Eastern University is already keen on the off-season, where he plans to hone his game even more to better deliver for the flagship MVP franchise.
“Marami pa ‘kong i-improve sa laro ko kasi nababasa na nila laro ko eh,” said Pogoy, who averaged 11.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in his rookie year.
“Sinasabihan ako ng coaching staff na, ‘Dapat dagdagan pa natin mga moves mo para mas mahirap ka bantayan sa susunod.'”
