JORDAN Bartlett silenced his doubters after the move from NU to La Salle, dazzling the crowd at Mall of Asia Atrium with his slick dribbling and sweet shooting to emerge as the men's champion of the UAAP Season 81 Last 1 Standing 1-on-1 Hoops Challenge.
The 20-year-old guard defeated heavy favorite Kobe Paras of the University of the Philippines in the final.
"Obviously, playing one-on-one, there's no such thing as a ballhog. I played in a couple of parks here and there and I got a couple of tricks up my sleeve," he said with a grin.
"Not at all," he said when asked if his triumph validates his transfer to La Salle.
"I know that I have the support from the coaching staff, management, and the entire school, so all this was is a confidence-booster for me. That's it. It's just an honor. I'm blessed for the opportunity."
Rather than keep tabs on what could have been for him in NU, the 5-foot-11 Bartlett is trying to improve himself, and winning this plum doesn't hurt that cause one bit, keeping his focus on finally playing again come UAAP Season 82.
"Like I said before, I have a year until I start playing. That's an eternity for me. So I just build off my weaknesses and build on my strength as well. This was just an icing on the cake, to have this as a way for me to see my progress coming into the next season."
So, is the La Sallian Jordan Bartlett better than the NU version?
"We have to find out," he coyly said.
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