NOT only does Yuri Escueta have the ‘best point guard in the NCAA’ in his opinion, he also has a 'better' recruit to fill the void of those who left.
San Beda has its work cut out for it for the coming NCAA Season 102 having to defend their crown without most of the heavy hitters.
Now gearing to duke it out sans-Janti Miller who went UAAP-bound, Yuki Andrada who went pro to Magnolia, and Jomel Puno who abruptly left the Red Lions camp Escueta is in for a considerable restructure if they wish to keep the trophy in Mendiola.
However, it seems like Escueta might have found the stalwart to offset the loss of not one, but two Red Lions in Aldous Torculas.
The former Fighting Maroon capped off his first Filoil Ecooil Preseason Tournament game in the red-and-white with 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
“Mas magaling pa rin siya sa kanila [Miller at Puno],” Escueta repeatedly said on Torculas who capped off his first Filoil Ecooil Preseason Tournament with 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Aldous does it
Torculas was the steady offensive contributor for the Red Lions, especially in the early goings of their 75-67 win over San Sebastian, where they struggled to string together runs to pull away.
And for the six-foot-four forward, having heavy offensive responsibilities is something that he expects this upcoming season not just because of the departures of Miller and Puno, but also because of his seniority.
"Simula noong last season, nung nawala yung mga key players at mga coachers, kailangan ko mag-step up at maging leaders sa mga teammates ko," he said.
"And I think that's a big responsibility [pero] gusto ko naman i-take yung challenge sa sarili ko at tumulong para sa team.”
Back in his tenure with State U, Torculas was primed to be the premiere 3-and-D guy for the Fighting Maroons to be paired with the likes of Harold Alarcon, Gerry Abadiano, and Terrence Fortea on the wing.
But with San Beda, not only is he empowered for bigger responsibilities outside of perimeter shooting, but also on the leadership aspect—which Escueta believes he has been diligently doing since heading to the Lions’ den.
“He embracing the role of a small forward. He's improved a lot with his shooting, with his ball handling, and of course, you know, with the rebounding and the defense, which is one of the reasons, of course, one of the bigger reasons why he's good at it now," Escueta stated.
“And not just that, but of course, the experience coming from a championship program, alam mo natin na very established ang UP, and hopefully, madala din niya sa amin yun," he said. "But no pressure. Alam naman namin na masipag si Aldous. Mas magaling pa rin siya.”
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