EVERYBODY knew it was takeover time for Kevin Quiambao.
Heck, even coach Topex Robinson wasn't surprised that it was the reigning Season and Finals MVP who put La Salle on his back against a dogged National University side to start their UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball campaign.
“Swapang ito eh,” he quipped of his star player.
READ: Quiambao wills La Salle past NU's tough test to start UAAP Season 87
For the 6-foot-7 do-it-all wonder, his decision to take charge for the Green Archers is really borne out of staying ready, and it was something he worked on in both practices and multitude of games he’s had in the past year.
“Yung takeover mode na yun, instinct lang. Alam kong kaya namin at 'di kami magpapatalo. Yung confidence lang talaga, kinuha ko yun galing sa practice every day,” he said.
I think I've seen this film before
Quiambao’s masterpiece on Sunday in the middle of the Araneta Coliseum isn’t really new.
He has already done that a number of times, may it be in his homecourt of Bayanan in Muntinlupa, against University of the East during the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup, or in games he has played with teams which have invited him in various local courts.
Of course, anchoring La Salle will always be different.
“Bago pa rin siya sa akin,” he said after finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists to start the Taft side’s quest for back-to-back on a good note. “This season, may freedom akong gawin yung mga ganoong pag-take over. Last season kasi, may mga veterans kami na gumagawa nun.”
“Alam kong magiging confident ako kasi preparado ako sa mga ganoong sitwasyon. Handa ako sa mga moment na ganoon,” he furthered, crediting his coaches led by Robinson, as well as skills coaches Joseph Gabriel and Migs Aytona for keeping him in tip-top shape.
So what else can Quiambao, already the undisputed best collegiate player in the land, improve on?
Believe it or not, he still thinks there’s a lot.
“I think work in progress pa rin ako,” he said. “Adjusting pa ako kasi last year lahat ng tira ko is galing sa play nila Evan [Nelle] at sa mga veterans namin. This time, baliktad na in a way na ako na ang kailangan mag-create para sa teammates ko.”
But when push comes to shove for the Green Archers, you know who’s still gonna take the last shot.
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