By ANGELO JACINTO
MAPUA head coach Randy Alcantara is only a win away from returning to the NCAA Finals after an amazing bounce back season that saw the Cardinals make it all the way to the top of the Season 99 eliminations.
With his former Red Robins star Clint Escamis now leading the attack with high school teammates Warren Bonifacio and Paolo Hernandez, the Cardinals ended the season on top of the standings for the first time in school history after posting an impressive 15-3 campaign.
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But as Alcantara traverses yet another rocky path to the NCAA summit with a core bannered by the best players from his title-winning juniors side at Mapua – one of his best players from that team will also be looking to stop him.
His name? No less than reigning NCAA MVP Will Gozum.
Gozum will be at the forefront of the fourth-seeded St. Benilde side, and Alcantara is certainly excited to see how this match-up will play out.
“Gandang [laban yun]. Siyempre, yun din naman ang ano eh, Bonifacio vs Gozum, magandang match-up yun. Very exciting yung game na yun. Kailangan lang maging tough kami,” he said.
“Di lang naman Will Gozum 'yan, marami kaming kailangan i-consider sa Benilde. So yun lang, kailangan maging tough lang ulit.”
The Blazers will certainly need Gozum to return to form if they want to stop the red-hot Cardinals, who’ll enter the Final Four on a six -game winning run. Alcantara, though, knows the biggest mistake he’ll ever make is underestimate the Blazers.
“Di ko iniisip na struggling sila, basta alam ko, malakas pa rin 'yan, lumaban 'yan sa championship last year, so di namin iisipin 'yun ['yung struggles],” he said.
“Di namin babasehan yung laro nila kanina. Kailangan namin mag trabaho, doblehin ang preparation at gawin ang same routine ng mga players at maka-recover.”
While most people attribute Mapua’s resurgence to Escamis’ arrival – and rightfully so – Alcantara gave credit to the support cast doing the dirty work for them.
Guys like Mark Cuenco, JC Recto, Ryle Rosillo and Jopet Soriano have all stepped up in various roles this season to make up the solid support cast for his Red Robins trio.
“Yung team effort, talagang lahat e, hindi mo titignan yan sa score e. Yung Recto, Cuenco, Rossilo, Jopet Soriano, hindi mo naman sila kailangan bigyan ng plays e. Pero andyan sila para mabuo yung gusto naming mangyari sa team. Siyempre, andyan din yung support nila Paolo at Boni,” he said.
“Ginampananan nila ang role nila sa team. Alam nila kung paano nila hanapin kung sino mainit, at sino yung hot guy na dapat suportahan. In short, teamwork, nagsuportahan, nagtiwala. Yun ang nagbago sa team namin.”
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