HEAD COACH: Jeff Napa (fourth season)
LAST SEASON: 10-4 (lost to La Salle in Final Four)
HOLDOVERS: Jake Figueroa, Steve Nash Enriquez, Jolo Manansala, Reinhard Jumamoy, Patrick Yu, PJ Palacielo
SUBTRACTIONS: Kean Baclaan, Mike Malonzo, LA Casinillo, Omar John
ADDITIONS: Tebol Garcia, Lenard Santiago, Paul Francisco (Winnipeg), Edmund dela Cruz (Olivarez), Mo Diassana
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FOR the past few seasons, National University has always been one of the consistently good teams in the UAAP.
But as they’ve found out over the past couple of years, being consistently good isn’t good enough - especially if the Bulldogs have title aspirations on their minds.
“Ever since naman, yun [championship] ang mina-mindset ko,” tough and dogged head coach Jeff Napa told SPIN.ph after one of their practices at the NU-Nazareth School Gym.
“Once we took over this program, yun ang goal talaga. 'Di lang namin masabi kung kailan o pa'no, pero every year naman, that’s our target talaga.”
If things fall into place for the blue and gold this year, then Napa – an NU lifer who played college ball with the school and won them multiple juniors championships as Bullpups coach – will finally get to tick off all checkboxes for his alma mater.
And from the looks of it, they’ve gone above and beyond in preparing for this season, as they continue to chase perennial powerhouses La Salle and the University of the Philippines – two teams which eliminated them over the past two seasons.
Still, Napa - who will be parading holdovers Steve Nash Enriquez, Jolo Manansala, Jake Figueroa, and Reinhard Jumamoy - is heading into his latest campaign with a renewed hope that this is the year they, at long last, break through.
“Siyempre kahit papaano, nag-iba kami ng approach this season. Nagbago kami ng calendar namin, para yung injuries, maalagan,” Napa said as the injury bug bit them hard last season with Enriquez missing plenty of time alongside several key cogs like Kenshin Padrones.
“Hopefully, we’re intact all the way to the end of the season.”
Champion addition
While all eyes were on the Green Archers, Fighting Maroons, and even rejigged University of Santo Tomas when it came to recruitment, the Bulldogs flew under the radar and actually got a player who perfectly fits into their system.
By getting Tebol Garcia from the title-winning Adamson Baby Falcons, Napa addressed the departure of Kean Baclaan who transferred to La Salle after two seasons with the Bulldogs.
Garcia seems tailor-made for Napa’s system – as the fiery tactician loves two-way players with size and high basketball IQ.
Without a doubt, the 5-foot-11 playmaker is just that.
And while he’ll certainly be playing behind guards like Enriquez and Jumamoy, Napa is confident that his prized 19-year-old Kapampangan recruit will fit right in with his brilliant backcourt.
“Confident naman ako. Different personalities, pero I’m pretty sure they will go all-out,” he said.
“Yung maturity namin, andun na e. Very important for us talaga na at least, masasabi namin na contender kami talaga, makakapag-compete kami talaga,” he added. “I want them to play at their best, at ma-reach talaga nila kung ano yung gusto nila maging.”
Who let the (Bull)dogs out?!
A 'gatekeeper' might be the perfect term for the Bulldogs over the past couple of years, as they’ve always pushed their opponents hard, beaten who they were supposed to beat, and stood as a steady fixture in a tough UAAP field - all while settling for moral victories by the end of the season.
But Napa is adamant that they’re so much better now, and based on what he’s seen with their preparations, they’re ready to finally crash the gate they’ve been stuck in.
“Ang iba ngayon, number one, yung bond nila, talagang intact sila. Plus, yung maturity ng mga players ngayon; mostly, they’re fourth year na,” Napa stated.
“Nakikita nila yung bigger picture, kung ano yung pagkukulang namin from the previous two seasons. Yun ang ginagawa namin to get over the hump, to get over the hurdles by the end of the season.”
Napa and his wards, safe to say, are sick and tired of just being footnotes in their foes' championship story.
Now, it's high time for National U to write its own storybook ending.
As he put it, “Na-address na namin yung needs namin. Yun yung pinolish namin ngayon, yun yung fina-follow-up para coming into the season, ready na ready na talaga sila.”
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The National U Bulldogs' first assignment in Season 87 is against defending champion La Salle Green Archers on Sunday, September 8 at the Araneta Coliseum.
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