FOR someone who started his first three seasons in the NCAA with a three-peat, it was certainly a bummer for Pao Javillonar to finish out his last two seasons with Letran without even making the final four.
This comes after the Knights’ NCAA Season 100 campaign ended on a downer following a 67-65 loss to the Arellano Chiefs on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centern in San Juan.
READ: Brave Arellano puts an end to Letran's playoff push
While losing in his final years as a collegiate player isn’t fun, he understands that things can indeed swing in different ways anytime, and he’s just making sure he doesn’t come out of this predicament without learning, and growing both as a player and as a person.
“Sa buhay naman hindi ka pwedeng nasa taas ka palagi, parang gulong lang din yan eh minsan sa baba minsan sa taas. It’s how you handle the situation talaga,” Javillonar said.
“Yun yung nasa harapan mo, yun yung binigay sayo ni Lord hindi ka naman bibigyan ni Lord ng problema kung hindi mo kaya lutasan. Ano lang ‘to, tine-test ako ni Lord. Ayun pa’rin kumbaga ang sabi sa’kin ni coach Allen [Ricardo], attitude, dun pa’rin babagsak ‘yon.”
He definitely needs to take all those lessons to heart now as he refocuses on joining a promising Converge squad as early as next conference.
Though Javillonar bared that there aren’t any contract offers between him and the Fiberxers, he expects a seamless transition to the pros especially as their main benefactor in Frank Lao’s Strong Group Athletics also backs Converge in the PBA.
“Yes kasi konektado lang lahat with boss Frank and Strong Group [Athletics], konektado kina Coach Allen so iisa lang kumbaga sa pupuntahan ko sa Converge,” he said.
“So ayun, focus muna sa kung anong nasa harapan, next play, pause lang for a minute tapos laban ulit.”
While his decision to return for one last year to Letran instead of already moving to the pros didn’t yield the results he was eyeing, Javillonar believes that his final season in the NCAA more than got him ready to join an on-the-rise Fiberxers squad who’s finally set to parade top rookie Justine Baltazar, and Gilas sharpshooter Jordan Heading next conference.
READ: How Converge was able to land Jordan Heading
“Siyempre kasi gusto kong bumawi talaga eh kumbaga itong last year ko gusto ko idedicate pa sa Letran kasi sila ang nagbigay sa’kin ng opportunity na makapaglaro sa collegiate so binabalik ko sa kanila,” he said.
“Sobrang thankful kasi sobrang bihira yung ganon sa college player. Yung naging campaign namin dadalhin ko ‘to sa paglabas dito sa pagdating sa pros. So yung mga little things, yun work hard lang and then pray syempre,” he added.
“Try and try until you succeed hanggang sa makuha mo yung gusto mo. Yung masasabi ko ‘tong naging journey ko ‘tong sa college, iba parin ‘to.”
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