AT first glance, one would think that Raymar Caduyac would be the last person to fit into Lyceum’s helter-skelter type of basketball.
The veteran "point guard" isn’t the quickest – in fact, he’s probably the slowest in the Pirates’ string of spitfire guards. One look at him on the court, and it’s noticeable that he’s not as well-built as the likes of CJ Perez and Jaycee Marcelino.
But he’s an important piece, a very critical one to the Pirates’ championship aspirations in the NCAA Season 94.
“I call him ‘speedy bagal’ because his timing is really is super smart. What he lacked in physical ability as far as speed, he makes up for it by being smart,” said Lyceum head coach Topex Robinson.
Coming off a loss against the Letran Knights, it was Caduyac who delivered in the endgame for the Pirates as they had to overcome a tough-fighting CSB Blazers side.
The third-year guard finished with 10 points, seven assists, and five rebounds – scattering six points in the final two minutes to deliver the knockout blows in their 77-64 win on Thursday.
“The things he does in games, I don’t see them in practice. He’s always full of surprises. It’s just a blessing to have somebody like him,” Robinson continued.
“Wala ngang naniniwalang point guard siya, cause he’s really slow, super slow, but I have so much love for that kid, the future’s so bright for him. I’m sure he’s gonna be a blessing to our team.”
His averages for the season aren’t eye-popping at all, averaging 5.8 points, 3.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 18.2 minutes of action.
But when the game’s on the line, it’s not a surprise to see Caduyac on the floor. In fact, he’s not just playing, he’s the primary facilitator that the Pirates turn to in the most crucial situations.
Most times it works for the Pirates, sometimes it results into a head-scratching blunder – but one thing’s for sure, Robinson knows what Caduyac brings to the table and he’s sticking with him no matter what.
“It’s about trust. Trusting he’s gonna make big shots, big decisions and trusting also that he’s gonna mess up. It has to be a two-way street for us, for me to earn their trust, I have to do the same for them,” Robinson said.
Yun mga ginagawa ni Caduyac, nakita niyo na yun ngayon. You could have seen when he was at his worst. He was just there. That’s because we believed in him as a team,” he added. "CJ could easily get that basketball for him as well as JC but they trust him to make good decisions. He always makes good decisions.”
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