THIS season's Most Improved Player may very well be the best defensive player in the playoffs.
Fran Yu's impact on the defensive end in the postseason has been nothing short of tremendous, helping the Letran Knights move on the brink of an unlikely appearance in the NCAA Season 95 Finals.
The 21-year-old guard has been pesky on the defensive end since the playoffs began, starting in the knockout game against San Sebastian where he tapped the ball away from a driving Alvin Capobres to lock up an 85-80 Letran victory last week.
Yu followed that with his stingy defense against his Lyceum counterparts as he triggered the telling fourth-quarter assault that led to the 92-88 win by the Knights.
And it was the case once again in Tuesday's Game One, with the 5-foot-10 guard hauling down the game-sealing rebound in the tight 65-64 victory over San Beda that gave Letran a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three championship series.
But his defensive prowess comes as no surprise, considering the two PBA players he idolizes.
"Idol ko si Scottie Thompson, malakas mag-rebound. Tsaka sa pagiging point guard, si Chris Ross. Balewala yung score basta manalo yung team. Siya talaga ang pinaka-idol ko," he said after his 10-point, 6-assist, 3-rebound, 3-steal outing.
But there's one current PBA star who's partly responsible for Yu's development and is happy to see this ascent: Barangay Ginebra star guard and concurrent Letran assistant coach LA Tenorio.
"Sobrang proud ako sa maturity ng bata sa lahat ng pinagdaanan nila, not just for Fran but all of the guards," he said. "Once in a while, nagme-message sila sa akin at natutuwa naman ako kasi kahit paano, alam nilang nandoon ako to help them and to be part of their careers, lalo na ngayon."
Yet as happy as Tenorio is with the improvements in Yu's game, he is the first to warn that the job still is far from finished for the Knights.
"Masyado pa maaga para purihin ang players. Para sa akin, kailangan naming tapusin for me to really tell them na they've matured enough na dalhin yung team na ito," he said.
And Yu took those words to heart, heading to Friday's Game Two.
"Naka-una na kami eh. Nasa amin na yung advantage," he said. "Nandito na kami, bibigay pa ba namin?"
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