Troy Rosario knew that scrunity will be inevitable after making it to the Gilas Pilipinas roster for the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila, Philippines.
Many disagree with his inclusion to the final roster. At 24 years old, the 6-foot-7 forward is one of the youngest members of the national squad. Many argue that Rosario, a rookie in the PBA, lacks the experience to be effective on the international scene.
But in the titanic showdown against world no. 5 France on Tuesday night, Rosario ended the debate on whether or not he could put a stand against top-level competition and be a productive member of Gilas.
Rosario scored six points and tallied nine rebounds, exerting effort and heart against a much taller French national team frontline.
Rosario admitted that battling France’s frontline had been no easy task. But he had to step up, especially with foul trouble hounding some of Gilas’ bigs.
“Syempre mahirap. Mabibigat eh, tsaka malalaki. Pero medyo kinaya naman ng konti. Nakatagal naman sa loob,” he said.
At first glance, Rosario’s statline may not be impressive. He shot 3-for-10 from the field and was only a plus-1. But he ended up with 10 field goal attempts, as he’d been so active in battling for position underneath the basket.
Playing the four spot whenever he’s on the floor, Rosario fought the likes of Boris Diaw, Kim Tillie, Joffrey Lauvergne, Charles Kahudi, and Florent Pietrus using every inch of his wiry 6-foot-7 frame, and was able to hold his ground.
More often than not, he would win those rebound scrambles and tip the ball into the hoop right away. His last field goal conversion came from a Terrence Romeo pass, which he converted over the outstretched arms of Diaw.
Rosario’s plus-1 was actually just one of three positive plus-minus figures for the nationals, behind Ray Parks and Jayson Castro who both tallied plus-3.
“Sobrang laki ng role ko, lalo na kanina, na-foul trouble si Andray (Blatche). So kailangan ng isa sa malalaki, kailangan doon sa loob ng court. Kailangan may tulong ako sa part na yun,” Rosario said.
A member of the SEABA Cup-winning team, Rosario said head coach Tab Baldwin has always believed in him, and always had a role for him in the squad.
“Hindi naman, kasi talagang binigyan ako ng kumpiyansa ni coach eh, sa game plan pa lang talagang sinasabi niya na na magagamit ako eh,” Rosario shared.
Even with doubt surrounding him beforehand, Rosario opted to just dedicate the stint to his countrymen — believers and haters alike — and let his game do the talking.
And he was able to prove he can compete at even the highest level of competition.
“Masaya ako na yung crowd, masaya kanina, yun lang naman talaga ang dahilan bakit kami naglalaro. Para sa mga fans. Para sa mga Pilipino na nagpunta dito para sumuporta,” Rosario said.
What a way to make a lasting impression. What a way to shatter doubts. What a way to say, “Hey I’m part of the final 12.”
