BY John Miles Arcenal
The dream lives on for the Baby Tamaraws' most recent championship core.
On the heels of their UAAP Season 85 boys’ basketball championship, the FEU-Diliman team bannered by Janrey Pasaol, Jedric Daa, Kirby Mongcopa, and Veejay Pre carried one dream - to rise to the seniors division still wearing the green-and-gold side-by-side.
That dream, however, took a turn when Mongcopa’s career was halted by a leg injury that kept him out for two years, including his supposed seniors debut.
With Mongcopa sidelined, the trio of Pasaol, Pre, and Daa pressed on in their rookie season, drawing motivation from their injured teammate, but their campaign started slow, as the Tamaraws managed just one win in the first round of Season 87.
Despite finishing sixth with a 5-9 record, the young guns nonetheless showed promise in their debut season, punctuated by Pre’s Rookie of the Year recognition.
'Pre-xit' only
Then in the offseason, speculations swirled about Pre’s departure from Morayta. Not long after, the 6-foot-4 Kapampangan confirmed the news in a heartfelt social media post, officially bidding farewell to the school that discovered and first developed him.
“Siyempre, parang mixed emotions kasi pinag-uusapan naming apat na inaantay namin si Kirby. So mixed emotions kami ngayon, masaya na malungkot kasi nga, 'di ba kaming apat talaga yung nagsama talaga galing pa sa Baby Tamaraws?” Pasaol expressed.
Daa echoed the same sentiments by saying, “Siyempre, masaya nga na malungkot kasi nga, nawala yung isa namin. Hindi na kami kumpleto uli, pero lalaban kami nang wala yung isa.”
With Pre's farewell, however, came Mongcopa's re-entry - and the versatile forward is determined to remind everybody why he was once hailed as boys' basketball Finals MVP.
READ: This Finals MVP is coming to give FEU a shot in the arm in UAAP Season 88
“Masaya ako para kay Kirby kasi ang tagal niyang nagpahinga eh. Thee years siyang natengga, so masaya ako para sa kanya. Excited akong makasama siya sa court uli,” Daa shared.
Pasaol expressed his own excitement, saying, “Ngayon, excited naman kami kasi yan si Kirby galing sa injury na malala talaga. Gagabayan na lang namin ni Jed kasi na-feel na namin yung unang taon namin eh, so kami na lang maggagabay kay Kirby kung paano talaga yung tunay na laban sa UAAP.”
Next Tamaraw up
For this champion trio, the challenge from FEU head coach Sean Chambers is crystal clear: next man up.
With key departures that also include Royce Alforque and Cholo Anonuevo, Chambers expects his young core to step forward and embrace bigger roles.
Good thing then that Pasaol is taking the challenge head-on, noting, “Ngayon para sa amin, mas pag-iigihan pa namin. Wala nang mag-e-expect sa'min na puro rookie kami, so kailangan na naming panindigan kung anong meron kami ngayon.”
“Binuild niya talaga ‘yung team na mataas ‘yung kumpyansa. So blessed kami na si coach Sean ‘yung naging coach namin. Mahirap sirain ‘yung tiwala ni coach Sean."
And expect Mongcopa and Daa to be right there with him.
“Yun nga, sabi nga ni coach Sean, next man up eh. May mawawala, meron din namang papalit. Hindi naman nila kailangang gampanan talaga yung binigay ni Veejay n’on eh. Kay coach lang, gusto niya may mag-step up kasi mas marami yung mabibigyan ng chance ngayon,” Daa added.
“Ang pinaka-mindset ko lang ngayon is suportahan yung mga key players dito. I’m still sticking to my role as a role player. ‘Yung dirty work, offensive rebounds, doon ako kumukuha ng kumpyansa."
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.
