OVER a year ago, Larry Muyang was celebrating a championship after Letran conquered San Beda and captured the NCAA Season 95 crown.
It was a momentous occasion, one which he celebrated with seniors Jerrick Balanza and Bonbon Batiller who were all PBA-bound.
With a chance for an NCAA repeat dashed by the pandemic, Muyang looks to follow the path his peers had as he enters the PBA Rookie Draft.
"Trabaho lang. Hindi ako hihinto," he told The Prospects Pod.
Lucky for the 6-foot-6 banger, his former Letran teammates are there to give him valuable insight even before he gets drafted.
"Si Bonbon, sinasabi niya iba daw talaga sa PBA. Kailangan daw talaga malakas yung katawan mo doon kasi kailangan sa banggan talaga, ready ka. Pag biglang nag-back pick ka, pag di ka ready, masakit sa likod," he said.
More than his peers, it was his old Knights coach and now-NorthPort assistant Jeff Napa who has been on the ears of Muyang.
"Si coach Jeff talaga, kinakausap niya ako na kailangan kong magpalakas at wag akong maku-kuntento," said Muyang, who posted 12.7 points on 56-percent shooting, to go with 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist in his final season in Muralla.
Napa has been a constant voice for Muyang throughout this this process, telling the burly big man that if he wants to make it to the PBA, what he's done isn't enough; that as solid as he was in the collegiate level, he has to step up his game.
"Kung ano yung ginagawa ko dati, ituloy-tuloy ko lang kasi iba daw sa pro. Nandyan na yung magugulang talaga na player kaya kailangan lang daw talaga magpalakas," he said.
For his part, the 25-year-old Muyang is taking all those advice to heart as he prepares for the biggest leap in his basketball career.
"Alam ko na sa laruan ko na sentro, mas matindi ang makakalaban ko. Kaya dodoblehin ko pa yung depensa talaga at mag-shooting dahil kailangan may perimeter ka na sa PBA," he said.
"Kung anong ginagawa ko dati nung college, dodoblehin ko, kung pwedeng titriplehin pa para lang makatulong sa team."
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