OVERWHELMED is an understatement when Janrey Pasaol found out that he is the presumptive MVP for UAAP Season 88.
READ: FEU's Janrey Pasaol is MVP in shocker to end UAAP Season 88 elims
His individual triumph, however, turned bittersweet, as though he wound up No. 1 in terms of Statistical Points (SPs), he and Far Eastern U just missed out on the Final Four, no thanks to La Salle's big-time triumph over Ateneo.
“Sa akin naman kasi, 'di ko iniisip yung stats eh,” he told SPIN.ph. "Kasi unang-una, manalo talaga yung gusto kong goal, pati ipasok sa Final Four yung team ko, and then yung mapaabot sa championship.”
“Kasi 'pag MVP lang ako, ako lang yung masaya. Iba talaga 'pag championship yung pinag-uusapan eh. Yun talaga pinaka mas masaya.”
The 5-foot-11 playmaker would know what he's talking about, as he got to celebrate a championship with the Baby Tamaraws in the juniors division.
Still, the 7-7 Tamaraws just being one win shy of making it to the next round doesn't take away from the fact that for the first time since Terrence Romeo back in Season 76, the MVP award will go to Morayta.
That means that all of Pasaol's hard work from breaking out in the high school ranks and wasting no time showcasing his skills in the collegiate division has paid off - even if for now, it's only him who gets to hoist a trophy.
As he put it, “'Di ko nga naisip na sa number one na pala ako. Basta ako, naglalaro lang ako nang tama at para sa team. So masaya naman. Isa sa mga biggest na achievement siguro yun sa buhay ko.”
“Kasi dito sa Pilipinas, ito (UAAP) pinakamalaking liga sa college eh. So kung ako man manalo sa MVP, it's an honor sa akin if ibigay man ni Lord sa akin.”
MV-Pasaol
Interestingly, high praise from NBA veteran Kent Bazemore may have very well been a sign of things to come for Pasaol.
READ: Janrey Pasaol caught the eye of this ex-NBA player. Find out who
“Sobrang laking growth nangyari sa akin nung nag-Sacramento kami. Yun talaga kasi talaga yung nagpataas ng kumpiyansa sa akin eh. So pagdating nung season, parang gamay na gamay ko na,” he said.
And now with a presumptive MVP set to continue fronting their charge still together with sharpshooter Jorick Bautista, ever-reliable Mo Konateh, and breakout star Kirby Mongcopa, FEU will keep on being a - in the words of their head coach Sean Chambers - problem for the rest of the league.
“Kung ano yung resulta, pinaghirapan ko din naman. If papabor yung resulta sa akin, why not, 'di ba? Iga-grab namin yung opportunity na yun,” Pasaol exclaimed.
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