DALPH Panopio may be missing out on a Gilas Pilipinas stint, but he's looking to make the most of what he has as he prepares for his freshman year for Cal State Bakersfield.
So upbeat is the 6-foot-1 guard for his first season with the Roadrunners that he only has one goal in mind.
"My next goal, to be honest right now. is to go to March Madness and bring the team to the March Madness," he told Spin.ph.
Cal State Bakersfield finished at fifth place last season in the Big West with its 9-7 record and 15-11 overall to miss out on the big dance.
"We have a good team this year. I feel like we're really working hard," said Panopio of his new team while praising his new coach Rod Barnes. "Our coach has trust on me and he really likes me, and he really wants me to play the game that I wanted to play."
"I feel like this will be a good place for me. The work ethic is different and we just all work hard. We try to work as much as we can. It's hard. but it's something that I want to do."
The only time the Roadrunners made it to the NCAA Division I Tournament was in 2016, when they won the WAC before exiting in the first round as the 15-seed lost to 2-seed Oklahoma, 82-68.
Panopio is also coming in motivated, especially with how his lone year in the South Plains Junior College in Levelland, Texas turned out.
He posted 8.1 points on 44-percent shooting from threes, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 23.4 minutes in his lone season with the Texans, but they bowed out in the quarterfinals of the Western Junior College Athletic Conference with a tough 87-83 loss to Ranger College in overtime.
That spoiled a solid campaign where South Plains went 18-2 for the year.
Ready for NCAA Division I
Nonetheless, Panopio believes that the stint in JuCo prepared him for his run in the NCAA Division I.
"JuCo was really a nice experience, probably was like one of the best decisions of my life because it really helped me to find the right D-I for me and you really learn," the 21-year-old said.
"JuCo is different. People think that JuCo is lower than D-III or D-II, but if you want to go to D-I, JuCo is the best option. It gives you another chance to go to D-I. Plus they gave me one extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19, so instead of having three, because I went to JuCo, I still have four years of eligibility in Division I."
Future remains uncertain for Panopio, yet he's just focused on capitalizing on the obstacles thrown his way, aware that every challenge only makes him a better player in the long run.
"We're all getting better and learning from our mistakes," the Rome-raised guard said.
"I just try to be more consistent on my game. I feel like two years ago, I feel like there were lots of ups and downs, but this year, I'm just trying to be consistent every time and try to have a good game every time. I'm ready for it, I'll work for it, and I'll do whatever it takes to get my goals."
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