ONLY in his third year in Jose Rizal University, Jed Mendoza faces the unenviable task of leading the Heavy Bombers.
With almost all of the veterans from last season’s Final Four run now out of the squad, Mendoza is forced to step up.
“Sobrang bigat ng responsibilidad kasi ang challenge dito ay how to lead yung team. Ako kasi from bench player, then nagkaroon ako ng playing time, then biglang captain ball na ako. Yung transition, parang napaka-bilis at parang di pa ako ready,” he said.
Gio Lasquety has departed the team after serving as a playing-assistant coach in his senior season.
Ervin Grospe has tested his luck in the PBA and is now seeing action in the MPBL.
Tey Teodoro has been booted out from the squad, while foreign players Abdulwahab Abdulrazak and Abdel Poutouochi have both graduated from JRU.
But Mendoza is working on it, determined not to let coach Vergel Meneses down after being entrusted with this new role.
“Sabi ni coach sa akin, yung team sa akin magsisimula, on how I will perform kasi kailangan nasa akin yung energy. Kailangan na makita nila yun sa akin para i-follow nila ako at ma-continue namin yung pace ng game,” said last year’s Most Improved Player.
“Hindi naman ako nilagay ni coach Vergel sa posisyon na ito ng walang dahilan. Syempre may tiwala siya sa akin at naipapakita ko naman sa kanya. Tiwala lang ako sa team and trust each other lang.”
Though expectations are meager for this rebuilding JRU team, Mendoza has laid down his first and season-long order of business for his camp: fight until you can fight no more.
“Kahit gaano kabigat itong season na ito, hindi porket rebuilding kami, magpapatalo na kami. Hindi kami nage-expect na mag-Final Four kami. Ang gusto lang naman ni coach sa amin ay makita niya na lumalaban kami. Lalaban at magtutulungan pa rin kami,” he said.
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