CHICAGO - I rarely get excited early in a UAAP men’s basketball season, but I am now.
Immediately.
Although still in the infancy stage, this Season 89 is in the gestation process of birthing another star.
Joaquin Tovera.
Depends on who you ask or which profile you read, this La Salle point guard is listed at around 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-1 and weights between 145 to 185 pounds.
READ Clearly, it wasn't too little, too late for Tovera at La Salle
But this one isn’t debatable: Tovera has an extra large game, a kid with balls the size of a boulder and plays with a maturity beyond his 18 years.
In leading La Salle to an 89-87 win over the NU Bulldogs, Tovera scattered 22 points, one rebound, an assist and three steals while hitting 8 of 14 shots.
All of that in just 14 minutes and 21 seconds of action.
COOL CAT CORTEZ.
But why such scant playing time for a hooper that some refer to as Tovera the Tiger?
Well, that’s because the defending champions already have a resident stud, a cool cat named Jacob Cortez who plays the same position as Tovera.
Cortez balled for 26 minutes and 14 seconds and he did alright with nine points, two rebounds and five dimes.
And there’s a reason why Jacob is a starter and closer of games.
The nimble 24-year is a proven stud. Ring on finger, tested in the crucible of the UAAP Finals.
“A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE.”
Jacob has that champion’s DNA which he inherited from his dad, Mike, a La Salle legend.
Social media is already abuzz about a potential in-house rivalry between two elite point guards.
I don’t see this as a problem, I see it as a healthy competition that will benefit La Salle.
It’s now up to coach Topex Robinson how to manage two identical playing thiroughbreds in his stable.
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