De La Salle University Green Archer Prince Rivero is currently averaging the lowest minutes he has ever played in his three-year stay in Taft Avenue. But he remains ready whenever his number is called.
The 6’3″ power forward played significant minutes under former head coach Juno Sauler during his first two years in the UAAP. However, a summer plagued with nagging injuries forced him to sit out the majority of the summer leagues, including a possible stint with the Gilas Cadets team that flew to Bangkok, Thailand for the 2016 SEABA Stankovic Cup.
In the first four games of the UAAP season, the 6’3″ power forward has logged in just 7.4 minutes per game, as big men Abu Tratter, Ben Mbala, and Justine Baltazar are ahead of him in coach Aldin Ayo’s depth chart. For the 21-year-old, he is using this as motivation to work harder.
“Ako kasi yung type ng tao na I’m not gonna quit. It doesnt matter if I don’t get the playing time, it’s okay,” Rivero shared.
“It’s a team. If we win the game, it’s not the guy who’s playing inside the court; it’s the team who wins.”
“Kasama naman ako sa team, so I’m part of the winning team,” he added.
Wednesday afternoon, the 2015 SEA Games gold medalist showed no rust even with the limited playing time, scoring 11 points and grabbing eight rebounds in just 10 minutes of action in DLSU’s win over UE.
“Wala akong problema kung wala akong playing time,” said Rivero, who scored all of his 11 points in the second half against UE. “I’m still working with them in practice. I help them improve, they help me improve, and then out of practice, we all still do extra workout.”
Rivero’s sacrifice, and everyone else’s for that matter, is the most pivotal difference that differentiates this year’s squad to Green Archers of years past. From the first five to the 15th man, everyone is doing their share to bring the Men’s Basketball crown back to Taft Avenue.
“Yung system kasi na nabuo namin, hindi siya pang-sarili lang. Yung system na binuo namin is to help each other out, despite kung nahihirapan ka man or nasa top ka ng career mo, it’s to help each other out,” he said about the system and the mindset incalcated in them by Ayo.
And the 205 pound forward is just thankful to be surrounded with his friends and his mentor throughout this journey.
“Thankful ako na kahit paano, nabibigyan ako ng chance, pero still, it doesnt change anything,” the blue-collar banger promised.
“I’m still gonna work hard for everything.”
