SAFE TO SAY, Toper Lagat is the latest in a long line of standout guards for University of the East.
Even more so with Lagat seeing to it that the Red Warriors, despite now being on a 28-game losing streak, are actually competitive in UAAP Season 89.
READ: La Salle takes UE's best shot in OT, still comes through for bounce back win
As the undisputed top gun for the red-and-white, the 5-foot-11 playmaker is averaging 20.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals, with exceptional performances like dropping 30 then 20 points in two meetings against La Salle, as well as 26 built on five triples against the University of the Philippines.
With that, eyes have been opened and jaws have been dropped due to his big leap in his second season.
And of course, that's making Recto hope against hope to reverse the course of their recent luck - with once-thought-to-be cornerstones such as Rey Remogat, Wello Lingolingo, and Precious Momowei going out the door.
Asked about these discussions now coming up, Lagat was candid with his answers.
“Aware naman ako sa ganung comments, nakikita ko sa social media,” he told SPIN.ph. “Hindi ko naman tinitignan as a weird way. Wala lang, hinahayaan ko lang.”
QUE-stion for Kristopher
Lagat understood that successive seasons of player departures formed part of the reason for the buzz regarding his play. But he's not paying any mind to any of it.
“Siyempre, I take it as a challenge lang. Yung mga gano'ng bagay. Focus lang ako sa game and try to do my thing. May losing streak pa kaming tatapusin,” he said, referring to the downward spiral UE is going through, now the second-longest in the Final Four era
“As long as we have an opportunity, we'll take those. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin yung how we play the game, how we improve every single day. We'll take those chances to get this losing streak (over with).”
The future will be the future, and the 19-year-old guard will cross the bridge when he gets there.
For now, he is a Red Warrior, and he will give his all to finally give them that long-awaited, much-desired win.
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