BEFORE UAAP Season 89 began, National U head coach Jeff Napa was on the record insisting Omar John’s departure wasn’t a matter he would lose sleep over.
That, indeed, looks to be the case, because not only did Mo Diassana easily fill the shoes of his former teammate from Gambia, but so did the rest of the Bulldogs down the block, especially PJ Palacielo and Kenshin Padrones.
Most definitely, Palacielo and Padrones are prime examples of the ability to discover and develop of the blue-and-gold program that has proven itself to be a consistent contender.
“Limang taon ko na silang kasama eh. So sa limang taon na yun, marami silang narinig sa akin. Pero at the end of the day, alam naman nila hindi naman para sa akin yan," the ever-fiery mentor told reporters after their well-earned win against University of Santo Tomas.
READ: On big men's backs, NU digs deeper hole for struggling UST
“We’re thankful kasi once mag-succeed sila, bonus na sa amin yun. Kumbaga, hindi na para kami yung pasalamatan or whatsoever. Sila na yung gumagawa ng sarili nilang buhay nila.”
On Saturday, the NU bigs didn't let their shot-caller down, with Padrones posting a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double and Palacielo pounding in 14 points and six rebounds of his own.
They also held their ground against Growling Tigers dynamo Collins Akowe, with Diassana doing much of the heavy lifting en route to 16 points and 19 rebounds.
Iron sharpens iron
On the backs of Diassana and Palacielo, as well as Padrones as their most crucial anchor off the bench, the Bulldogs are yet again running in the Top 2 of the standings - all while being the lone team to be without back-to-back losses.
That Jhocson remains a force to reckon with even minus Jake Figueroa, Jolo Manansala, and Steve Nash Enriquez is further proof that practicing what Napa preaches is a recipe for success.
“Bilang player, siyempre, minsan, dadating yung time na magre-relax ka, parang makakontento ka. Pero thankful kami ni PJ na nandyan si coach Jeff, sila coach Glen [Capacio], coach Kevin [de Castro], coach MC [Abolucion], na ready lagi para i-remind kami,” Padrones said.
“Sinasabi nila sa amin, hindi lang kayo hanggang dito; kumbaga, may next level pa kayo. Thankful kami na yun yung tumatak sa amin ni PJ.”
Palacielo, for his part, shared the sentiment - just always trusting the process of his longtime mentor.
“Alam ko naman yung trust niya pa rin nasa akin,” he said. “Hindi ko naman strength yung sa labas. Kaya kumbaga, minsan sumasama yung loob ko kasi gusto akong ibang gawin."
"Pero alam niya kung saan talaga ako kumukuha ng puntos, kung saan ako mas nakakapagtrabaho. So at the end of the day, siya pa rin naman yung susundan ko.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
