HEAD COACH: Sean Chambers (2nd season)
LAST SEASON: 5-9 (6th)
HOLDOVERS: Jorick Bautista, Mo Konateh, Janrey Pasaol, Jedric Daa, Miguel Ona
SUBTRACTIONS: Veejay Pre, Royce Alforque, Cholo Anonuevo
ADDITIONS: Kirby Mongcopa, Liam Salangsang, Neil Owens, CJ Amos, Luke Felipe (returning)
---
VEEJAY Pre or not, Sean Chambers’ prediction last season remains intact.
That he sees this Far Eastern University squad continuing to be a problem for the rest of the UAAP this Season 88 is a testament to the faith the American mentor has in the program, its players, and quite frankly, his vision.
“It still remains the same,” he told SPIN.ph, pumping his chest in confidence.
Chambers understands that the narrative around the Tamaraws will always be centered around the so-called 'Pre-xit,' but the multi-time PBA champion reiterated that Pre, as much as he was the runaway winner of last year’s Rookie of the Year honors, was just one spoke in the green-and-gold wheel.
“Again, we were more than Veejay. The Veejay thing happened, but we're not gonna make it like Veejay was the team because Veejay also struggled at some point until he got going,” he said.
Now that Pre is no longer part of that wheel, the second-year shot-caller is ready to roll with those still part of this ride.
FEU-l to the fire
For one, Mo Konateh’s emergence has been one of the biggest reasons why that faith is still that high for Chambers.
The Gambian center, initially tasked to be the last line of defense in Morayta, gave FEU a whole lot more than what people expected of him, as he grew to become a reliable option down low on top of him taking care of defensive chores.
“And he continues to get better and better and better,” said the bench tactician.
READ: Chambers claims FEU FSA Mo Konateh to be US NCAA-caliber
That Konateh’s growth is also coinciding with the development of his batchmates in Janrey Pasaol and Jedric Daa, two players who have come from the FEU-Diliman pipeline, on top of fellow sophomores like Jayden Jones and Adam Nakai, is also a big plus, as they all endure the good and the bad together.
For Chambers, having that one season under his and the Tamaraws’ belts is what will make this go-round a whole lot different from last year.
“We had nine freshmen last year, so it was new to them. This year, it won't be new,” he said. “Even for me, going into (my) second year, it's like nothing's new anymore.”
“Last year, everything was new, being in my first practice with the guys, getting to know the guys, getting to coach my first game in Araneta [Coliseum] or coach my first game at MOA [Arena], all those were new. Getting the chance to coach against the other guys in our league, that was all bago, right?
“But this year, it’s not new. So now, I come with a little bit better foundation of understanding what it looks like and feels like. And now being able to get in the mindset of where we want to attack from and how we want to improve. That’s what we have this time out.”
What’s new will be a few key pieces which came to reinforce that wheel.
Kirby Mongcopa is finally with the seniors team a year removed from his freak motorcycle accident that robbed him of playing last season and reuniting with his fellow ex-Baby Tams in Pasaol and Daa.
READ: This Finals MVP is coming to give FEU a shot in the arm in UAAP Season 88
Fil-Am gunner Neil Owens was brought in as a one-and-done player, tasked to bring leadership and stability just like how he did for NCAA Division III team Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Liam Salangsang was the lone rookie to come from the high school ranks together with his deadshot shooting, while CJ Amos arrives with his athleticism to beef up the backcourt.
Luke Felipe has also shown flashes in the preseason in augmenting their losses at the forward position after sitting out last year, as Alcen Macapagal looks primed after coming back from an ACL injury also last season.
“We like the pieces that we added in this team. We have a lot of talent on this team, and so we just need to find ways to make it work,” said Chambers.
Tricks up Jorick's sleeve
What he’s hoping will be the same is the stellar play of Jorick Bautista. The fourth-year guard had, time and again, saved FEU last season that there’s no more doubt in his ability to be known as the latest King Tamaraw.
READ: FEU's post-Pre prospects all begin with captain Jorick Bautista
But Chambers took it up a notch, remarking that pound-for-pound, Bautista has already levelled himself alongside the league’s elites. “I think Doy is one of the top five guards in the league and I think he's gonna go out and prove it every day for us,” he manifested.
That’s why for Chambers, as much as he wants FEU to exceed last year’s win total, the biggest goal is nothing else but winning the championship.
“Our goal is to get to seven, eight wins, but for me, Final Four should not be our focus. It should be the championship,” he declared.
“Every time we're coming up, we're trying to win it because we're trying to win a championship. You should not be content. We need to change that mindset because everybody should be trying to win the championship.”
Of course, getting the Tamaraws there is easier said than done.
That’s why it all goes back to Chambers’ mission from the moment he signed on the dotted line in FEU: to create that winning attitude just like how he did in the U.S. with Fern Bacon Middle School and back then when he was a player with Alaska.
“We want to have a sense of familiarity of being in that stage, to not be surprised by those big moments. When we’re not surprised of those anymore, that can create a lot of success, to create the right habits and let the records take care of itself,” he said.
And when they do, boy, the Tamaraws are, indeed, going to be a huge problem.
---
Read up on what to expect from the other teams in UAAP Season 88 here:
ATENEO UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Welcome to the Blue Eagles as darkhorse era
NU UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Bulldogs' big picture now crystal clear
UE UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Red Warriors giving swag with fiery Gavina in charge
ADAMSON UAAP 88 PREVIEW: These surprising Falcons just got taller and younger
UST UAAP 88 PREVIEW: This is Tigers' best shot at first title since 2006
LA SALLE UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Great expectations, meet Green Archers
UP UAAP 88 PREVIEW: It's Fighting Maroons against the world
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
