COACH TY Tang is urging the St. Benilde Blazers crew to rally behind Justin Gutang as they try to make a mark in the NCAA Season 95 basketball tournament.
Gutang has taken the place as leader in only his second year, but Tang says everyone needs to deliver as the Blazers try to make it to the semifinals for the first time in 17 years.
"In terms of playing inside the court, no doubt na siya talaga ang leader namin in terms of being the focal point of our offense," said Tang of Gutang, who averaged 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals in his rookie season.
But the Blazers' preseason performance left a lot to be desired, leading Tang to put the spotlight not just on Gutang but the whole team.
"Mahirap na asahan lang ang isang player to handle all the pressure throughout the season. Some other people has to step up. It has to be a collective effort among our key players," he said.
Tang is counting on seniors Yankie Haruna, Clement Leutcheu and Edward Dixon to help Gutang if they want St. Benilde to once again be regarded as contenders.
The youthful coach also stressed that Gutang needs to do more than fill the stats sheets.
"More that the on-court stuff, it's more of his character and his leadership, yun ang hinahanap namin sa kanya. When you're a leader, you're supposed to command and earn the respect of your team. That's where we want him to lead," said the youthful mentor.
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