RAY Allen Torres authored a poetic finish to his latest game against the school and squad he once called home.
The former State U juniors standout hit a clutch trey at the death to deny the defending champions victory, 62-59, and hand Adamson its first in UAAP Season 88.
READ: Ray Allen Torres, Adamson send UP to first 0-2 start since 2016
Moments like those are what dreams are made of for a young player like Torres at the tender age of 23.
But apart from vindication and a share of the glory often credited to a Montebon or a Manzano, that shot to cap his 10-point game made the leap to San Marcelino two years in the making a worthwhile gambit.
“Super worth it kasi kaya naman ako nag-Adamson dahil kay coach Nash [Racela] eh,” Torres said.
“Kahit nga ‘di ako na-lineup at pwede naman akong umalis, nagtiwala ako sa programa niya kasi alam kong du’n ako mag-iimprove as a player.”
Torres debuted for the Soaring Falcons in Season 85 before being relagated to Team B the next two years. He finally returned to the official lineup this season and is now one of the team's veterans alongside Cedrick Manzano and Mathew Montebon.
From Diliman to San Marcelino
There was once a time when the University of the Philippines Integrated School was already grooming Torres to hold the fort as the Fighting Maroons’ next playmaking ace.
All plans went south, though, as Torres bared how the pivotal Perasol-Monteverde coaching change over in Diliman hit the brakes on what would’ve been his basketball future in maroon-and-green.
“Hindi naman na [nila ako kinuha] kasi nagpalit na sila ng coach. Dati, kinuha na ako ni coach Bo kaso naging coach na nila si coach Goldwin,” he said.
And so, the 5-foot-11 sniper took his talents to San Marcelino and there, he felt a renewed sense of purpose to uphold Racela’s legacy of turning young guns to top guards in the college hoops scene — more so as the namesake of his dad’s idol and one of the greatest guards the game has seen.
“May reputation si coach Nash sa guards, so gusto ko sumunod sa mga yapak ng former players niya,” Torres said, as Racela oversaw the rise of the likes of RR Pogoy, Mike Tolomia, and Jerom Lastimosa.
“Nag-e-extra ako, nagsu-shooting ako mag-isa nu’ng bata pa ako. Ini-imagine ko lang na ‘3-2-1’ [tapos tira] ganu, kasi sikat si Ray Allen du’n, eh. Thankful ako na nabigyan ako ng chance at nagtiwala siya sa’kin.
“Nag-pay-off naman lahat ng tinatrabaho ko galing from two years na hindi ako na-line-up.”
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