Year in and year out, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons have always been called a young team that is a year or two away from breaking out. Entering the 79th Season of the UAAP, the Diliman cagers are no longer in this predicament, having an almost intact line-up from last season – having lost only JR Gallarza to graduation.
Five months into the Bo Perasol era, the former Blue Eagles head coach has seen vast improvements from the Fighting Maroons that finished the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup with a paltry 2-5 slate.
“Sa nakikita ko sa tune-up games namin, nai-imbibe na nila,” Perasol shared Saturday evening during the launching of the “No Where to Go but UP” Foundation launch.
“Gusto ko lang malampasan namin yung pagiisip na talunan tayo. Gusto kong lumaban lang kami doon. Whatever happens is going to happen.”
Entering this season, the UP faithful were hopeful, as the team have added foreign student-athlete Lionel Tekoudjou and two more members from San Beda’s famed Super Six to its line-up. However, none of those three will be in the roster for Season 79 due to either academic or medical reasons.
“Di naman ako choosy. Yun na yun. We have worked kung ano ang meron kami and we’re trying to address kung ano yung gusto namin,” Perasol said about the circumstances he had inherited from former UP head coach Rensy Bajar. “We’re trying to recruit, but it’s not easy. Meron na kaming at least tatlo na nasa team B for next year.”
The former PBA head coach admitted that he is taking it one step at a time to change the culture of the Fighting Maroons, a team that has a combined 4-14 slate over the past two seasons.
“Ibig sabihin, they’re one year more experienced. Alam na nila supposedly what it takes to win. Yung hurdle lang na yun, it’s more difficult to overcome kasi nagiging habit,” he said about the Maroons.
“Alam nilang kaya nilang manalo pero they don’t believe it. Yun ang sinusubukan kong palitan sa psyche nila.”
For UAAP Season 79, Perasol is tempering the expectations of the UP fans, just hoping that his team notches more than three wins in his first year as the mentor of his alma mater.
“Kung ano man yung meron kami, I’m positive that with the remaining weeks to go, mas mama-maximize pa namin,” he concluded.
“I’m hoping na malampasan namin yung three wins this coming season.”
