LA SALLE coach Derick Pumaren said the Green Archers are preparing for a 10-day training camp in Japan in preparation for UAAP Season 85.
"We’re planning to go to Japan in the next 10 days. We’re looking at a minimum of six games there," he said, aiming to test La Salle among professional clubs.
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The Archers leave for Japan on Sept. 10.
Pumaren implored the Green Archers to stay hungry even after claiming the 2022 PBA D-League Aspirants' Cup title as he admitted that there are still matters which he feels the team can improve on both ends of the court.
Schonny Winston and the Archers brace for games against pro teams in Japan.
"There are still some things we need to probably check with our defense, some more patience and probably with sprinting back on defense. We tend to forget about that. Offensively, I think we just gotta be more patient on offense, but we’re right there," he said.
"I’m happy with the way they’re executing. They’re moving the ball, they’re making extra passes and it just goes to show you that the chemistry is there already. We just have to keep pounding so when we get to the UAAP, it’s going to be a totally different team."
Michael Phillips and Schonny Winston continued to hold the baton for the Taft side, while incoming rookie Kevin Quiambao, fresh from his Gilas Pilipinas stint, has proven himself to be a keeper for La Salle.
Though still dissatisfied, Pumaren did note that he's glad to see the team finally flash its killer instinct in the PBA D-League -- something that was absent in the last campaign where La Salle was shown the door by eventual champion University of the Philippines in the stepladder semifinals.
"As I told the boys, we have to show it, we have to want it. They want to win, but we gotta want it more," he said.
"We fell short against UP. We won the Final Four in the first game but we did not close out. This is part of the program and we’re trying to work on it, and I’m pretty sure that this will toughen the team. That’s why we’re here and why we joined this tournament. We just got to be a better team but we don’t just want to be better, we want to be a championship-caliber team. This is one thing we’re gonna work on, closing out games that we need to win."
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