JARED Bahay may have made the U-turn from the University of the Philippines to Ateneo, but one former Fighting Maroon remains a big inspiration for the Cebuano guard coming into his sophomore year.
The 5-foot-9 playmaker admitted he wants to follow the mold of JD Cagulangan for the Blue Eagles, especially with the Katipunan side looking for better returns this UAAP Season 88.
“Si kuya JD talaga. He’s very talented and ang galing niya. Marami akong natutunan sa kanya and I want to apply those this year,” he said of the now-Korean Basketball League point guard with whom he shared a backcourt with for some practices.
No sophomore slump, just bounce back year
Bahay would be the first to admit that his rookie year wasn’t the best, as he played under the microscope and inside a pressure cooker of matching the massive hype he was given, while also navigating uncertain waters in Ateneo's down year.
But through it all, he just tried to maximize his time, absorbing every lesson like a sponge, as he got a baptism of fire facing some of the top guards in the amateur ranks.
“Last year wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the best. But kahit na ganoon, I’m thankful na I got to learn from those guys by playing against them kasi sobrang galing talaga ng guards sa UAAP,” he said.
“Now that I’m in my second year, what I’m gonna do is to just learn, learn, and learn.”
READ: Jared Bahay feeling better in the driver's seat for Ateneo
With the quality of the competition at an all-time high, Bahay isn’t willing to sit on the sidelines, as he looks at this year as an opportunity for him to show what he’s really made of all alongside piloting the Blue Eagles’ flight back to the top.
“I’ll do my best to get us back on track and be one of the best guards in college basketball,” he said. “We want to change what happened last year and for us to do that, we need some cohesion, belief in coach Tab’s [Baldwin] system, and trust each other more.”
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