THE cavalry is coming for University of the East in the form of Fil-Ams Drayton Caoile and Mariano Tañedo who will bolster a backcourt already featuring Wello Lingolingo and Nico Mulingtapang.
Caoile, who officially came on board last week and is already in the Philippines, is coming off a 9.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game stint with Corban University in Oregon. He is a 6-foot guard who will go one-and-done in Recto.
Tañedo, meantime, stands at 5-foot-10 guard who will come into UAAP Season 88 as a true freshman. He previously played for West Nottingham Academy in Maryland, averaging 12.0 points, 7.5 assists, and 3.0 steals.
With these acquisitions, first-year head coach Chris Gavina expects UE to have more flexibility in the backcourt, especially after the departure of Rain Maga.
“The couple of guys coming in are going to change the dynamic of our roster. It should improve us in regards to maturity and leadership for the players that we're signing and bringing in,” he said after the red-and-white wrapped up its campaign in Filoil Preseason.
Apart from the offensive potential the two playmakers possess, the Red Warriors also expect a boost on defense, which would then open up more avenues in terms of their pace.
As Gavina explained, “That'll give us a lot more extra stability at the point guard slot and another option for me of how I want to change up our pace from being an execution team to being more of a pressing team.”
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Even with Caoile and Tañedo’s arrival, however, the new shot-caller made it known that no one’s playing time is guaranteed.
“Hopefully, with those two additions, everyone else levels up. Because everyone understands that decisions I make are always for the sake of the program,” said Gavina.
“It's nothing personal. If someone comes in and outworks somebody, then he gains the minutes that we need for them.”
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