THINGS may not have panned out the way coach Jeff Napa envisioned it to be, but there’s no question that the future is still bright for National University.
“See you next year. Ganon lang ka-simple,” he said.
“Hopefully, maging healthy kami talaga next year para at least maganda yung magiging performance namin.”
The Bulldogs did not expect to bow out this early in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament, slumping to a 5-9 record after finishing at third place the last two seasons.
But their quest to make a louder noise this season was derailed from the get-go, with Malian center Mo Diassana going down with an ACL injury four minutes into this campaign.
Add to that being at the wrong end of heartbreakers and NU just could not get its groove going.
Even Napa feels uneasy making this early vacation, with this being the first time in three years that they won't even get to play in the Final Four.
READ: NU will miss playoff party, but Bulldogs can celebrate producing two engineers
But the consolation in this failed campaign is the understanding that a brighter tomorrow is still to beckon, with hungry upstarts ready to make noise for the Bulldogs come UAAP Season 88.
“Talagang inaantay ko na lang matapos yung high school para makapaglaro na sila sa Bulldogs,” the outspoken mentor said of the bumper crop of new faces ready to represent the gold-and-blue.
Leading the pack is the reigning UAAP Juniors MVP Collins Akowe.
The 6-foot-10 Nigerian, who has been a rock for the Bullpups, is poised to give the returning Diassana and Omar John a run for their money, making the competition for NU’s foreign student-athlete spot as intense as ever.
And he’s not the only big heading to college, with 6-foot-8 Jedric Solomon and 6-foot-7 Miguel Palanca also expected to bolster the ceiling in Jhocson, while homegrown studs RJ Colonia, Mac Alfanta, and former Adamson Baby Falcon Vince Reyes are also raring to earn their spots come next season.
“Locals pa rin yung hinahanap namin na magsu-support sa mga nandito ngayon,” said Napa, who will still bank on leaders Jake Figueroa, Jolo Manansala, and Steve Nash Enriquez – all of whom have one more playing year left – for next season’s campaign.
“Yung core nandoon pa din naman, buo pa. Lalagyan lang namin ng mga bata doon sa baba.”
Among those who have stepped up this year is PJ Palacielo, who took his game to the next level and averaged 8.14 points and 6.07 rebounds to fill up the gaping hole in the middle for NU.
“Meron pa siyang two playing years, so ngayon pinakita niya kung ano yung kakayahan talaga niya at mas lalo niyang naintindihan yung value niya sa team, so we will expect that from him next year,” Napa stated.
As promising as next year’s Bulldogs roster is on paper, Napa also understands that turning those hype into action is a different matter. And that’s the challenge that he wants his wards to embrace as they immediately start their preparations for next year’s run while also putting this past campaign in the rear view.
“Hindi na namin iniisip yung mga what if. Ang sa akin, happy ako na tinagos nila yung season no matter what happened and after all the adversities,” he said.
“Ngayon, it’s up to us para makabawi. Yun yung challenge naman sa buhay, na kahit gaano kahirap, may liwanag, may solusyon kumbaga. So kami, looking forward to perform lang talaga next year.”
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.
