SAY whatever you want about him, but Reyland Torres is comfortable in his skin.
As the University of the Philippines' designated perimeter stopper, he often finds himself at the other end of frustration by whoever he's defending, as well as opposing fans.
All in all, he's the quintessential player you'd love to have on your team, and loathe to see at the other end.
"Masaya ako dun. Dinala ako ng role na yun kung nasaan man ako ngayon. Kung yun yung magdadala sa'kin sa pangarap ko, bakit 'di ko gagawin?" he told SPIN.ph.
Torres has always been a capable and confident defender who, make no mistake, can also do damage at the other end. His averages of 3.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 14 all-out and tireless minutes of action in UAAP Season 87 serve as more than enough proof of his two-way impact.
And that's exactly how he likes it - doing anything and everything in his power to help the Fighting Maroons.
Rey(land) of hope
In doing so, he's returning the favor once did to him by Goldwin Monteverde, who discovered and then developed him.
Now standing at 6-foot-1, he was once a 14-year-old from Bago, Negros Occidental who had to stand out in a tryout that totaled 50 hopefuls.
"Sinwerte naman. Buti, nakitaan ni coach Gold na pwede sa team niya," he recalled.
Stand out, he did, and Monteverde gave him a shot, and he eventually emerged as a key piece in National University-Nazareth School's dynasty in UAAP juniors.
He then played one season in NU's seniors squad, even as his former mentor took his talents to Diliman. Still in blue-and-gold in Season 84, he actually showcased his skills on offense with norms of 7.7 points, including a total of 19 threes, while also remaining impactful as a defender.
But then, a golden opportunity came up to re-unite with Monteverde in UP.
Torres grabbed the chance by the throat and wasted no time resuming his role as a trusted - let's be frank about it - irritant at both ends.
"Sa totoo lang, masasabi ko na sa buhay ko, 70-30 - 70-percent ng buhay ko, dahil kay coach Gold," he shared.
"Halos lahat ng problema, struggle sa buhay, nandyan siya. Lahat ng payo, paalala, tulong lagi niyang binibigay. Para na talaga siyang tatay namin."
With that, from the Kevin Quiambaos to the Nic Cabaneros and from the Jake Figueroas to the Jorick Bautistas, the Fighting Maroons can rest assured that they have somebody to match up with foes' lethal weapons, whether they be guards or forwards.
And without a doubt, he's ready and raring to be up to the task.
As he put it, "Yung role ko na ganito, tinatanggap ko as a blessing kasi gusto ko manalo. Kung yun ang paraan para manalo kami, ba't 'di ko gagawin? Kung anong makakatulong sa team, yun yung gagawin ko."
Rey(land)gun
The now-22-year-old vows to continue playing his part, even if his play pushes him right into the middle of controversy.
Back in the first meeting of the season between State U and finals tormentor La Salle, he and Green Archers coach Topex Robinson figured in an altercation.
READ: What happened in La Salle-UP in-game spat?
The maroon-and-green supposed that some sort of spitting occurred, coming from the La Salle shot-caller himself, which he vehemently denied. The league stepped in with an investigation and ultimately found no hard proof on allegations before slapping both Torres and Robinson with warnings.
READ: No sanctions as Topex, Torres just get warnings for alleged spitting incident
The funny thing is that as they stand in different camps, the two actually share a striking similarity: being players who have no qualms about getting in the face and under the skin of whoever they were tasked to guard.
Robinson parlayed that skillset into two PBA championships and then transitioned into a coaching tenure spanning San Sebastian, Lyceum, Phoenix, and now, the Green Archers.
Torres, on the other hand, celebrated championships as National U's 3-and-D guy who now hopes to help the Fighting Maroons reclaim the crown they last wore in early 2022 that was followed by back-to-back bridesmaid finishes.
Fast forward to today, a day before they meet again for an all-important game that may very well decide the top seed, Torres is sticking to the standard that has seen him rise as a key contributor - the very same instilled in him by Monteverde.
"Sabi nga ni coach Gold, focus lang sa laro. Kung ano man yung nangyari, magiging motivation, magiging isa sa mga gigil ko," he remarked.
"Pero lalaruin pa rin namin kung anong laro namin, sistema namin. Lalaruin lang namin ng tama."
READ: KQ hopes to return to form as La Salle aims for overall top seed
After all, whatever happens, UP's loud and proud irritant will have the loud and proud backing of the UP community.
"Sobrang nakakataba ng puso na may nasasandalan ka. Ako, malayo ako sa pamilya ko, parang UP community na naging pamilya ko," he exclaimed.
"Usually, pamilya mo lalaban para sa'yo. Pero wala pamilya ko rito, wala silang magawa, kaya thankful ako sa kanila (UP community) na nandyan sila na tumayo sa likod ko."
So you can say whatever you want about Torres, but he's not going to change who he is. Whatever words may be hurled at him, as Monteverde had taught him, he'll just brush them off his shoulder.
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