FOR the first time since his rookie year in the UAAP, Patrick Sleat will be testing his mettle in the Final Four - this time in the NCAA.
Perpetual’s semifinal slot was made official after shooting down young yet dangerous Jose Rizal University on Thursday.
READ: Top seed Perpetual aces tough test from JRU to advance to semis
The more things change, the more they stay the same, though, as Sleat will be trekking to the next round still alongside Olsen Racela, also his mentor back then with the Tamaraws.
And the similarities don’t stop there, as the do-it-all wing couldn’t help but draw comparisons between these Altas and FEU's Season 84 playoff team.
“Kasi si [Mark] Gojo [Cruz], parang si RJ [Abarrientos]. Parang ganoon yung lagay niya ngayon sa team namin," he told SPIN.ph.
“Si Gojo, parang ganoon kasi anytime gusto niya maka-score, kaya niya maka-score.”
That's high praise for second-year player Gojo Cruz, though already a star in his own right, and his averages of 12.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists to be compared to now-Gilas Pilipinas guard RJ Abarrientos, who normed 13.6 markers, 4.4 boards, and 2.6 dimes in his lone season in Morayta's seniors squad.
For his part, Sleat himself continues to be as versatile as they come, whether in green-or-gold or wine-and-gold. In that FEU playoff run, he posted per game counts of 3.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists, before upping all of those today with Final Four-bound Perps in averaging 10.3 markers, 4.3 boards, and 3.6 dimes.
With those two showing the way, the Altas had a grasp of the Group A top spot for much of the eliminations.
Still, it wasn't without its fair share of trials.
Fortunately for them, with Sleat already having prior experience with Racela’s system, their execution ran just a bit smoother when it mattered most.
“Kung papaano lumaban yung team,” he answered when asked about what stood out the most, as Perpetual battled its way to its first Final Four since Season 97. "Kasi yun naman yung culture na gusto ni coach. Yung defensive mindset.”
Perps tunes out the noise
Still, even as they rose to the top of the leaderboard, the Las Piñas-based squad still rarely got mentioned in the same breath as perceived legitimate championship contenders in reigning titlist Mapua, San Beda, Letran, and Benilde.
You can even say that just like the Tamaraws, Perpetual is flying under the radar, just waiting for the perfect time to strike - and pull off the biggest surprise of all in the process
“Wala na po kaming pakialam kahit ano sabihin ng outside. Yung mahalaga yung kami, so it don't really matter whatever they're saying," he said.
“Wala naman kaming kailangan i-prove sa ibang tao. Yan naman lagi yung mindset ko at namin. Basta ibigay lang namin yung best namin, and God will do the rest.”
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