UAAP second round is a different beast.
That’s the consensus among coaches as they gear up for the homestretch of the Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.
And with the games getting much more important, players also need to step up their game if they want to sustain their groove in Round 1 or make up for lost time and stage that last push.
With that, SPIN.ph lists eight players whom we feel should take that next step – to see to it their teams go from good to great.
CJ Austria - La Salle
Our preseason list deemed Austria as a potential x-factor for the defending champions and it remains true until now.
Sidelined with a shoulder injury to start the season, the Cabuyao, Laguna winger remains a dangerous off-ball threat despite missing the first four games of this campaign.
Austria has only shown glimpses of his game this season, averaging just 2.67 points and 2.67 rebounds, but expect those numbers to be slightly bumped up as La Salle kicks its title retention drive into high gear.
Jack Cruz-Dumont - UE
University of the East has certainly been the story of the first round and that’s largely thanks to the phalanx of players who have stepped up for coach Jack Santiago.
But believe it or not, the Red Warriors could be even better if Cruz-Dumont performs exactly like he can in the second round.
Just-adjusting to his new role at the point, the Fil-Am guard is still feeling his way as seen in his averages of 4.57 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. Once he settles down though, expect things to continue to be on the ascent for the Recto crew.
Aldous Torculas - UP
Hard to believe that as deep as the University of the Philippines is, there’s still a lot of weapons it can unleash from its arsenal.
Torculas is one of those as he seeks to be another reliable option on the wing.
Averaging only 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds, the homegrown Fighting Maroon possesses immense promise with his size and length, and his defense will be a key factor in the Diliman crew’s dreams of reclaiming the crown.
Ice Danting - UST
Missing the first four games of the season due to a knee injury, Danting wasted no time proving to everyone that he belongs in this redemption tour for University of Santo Tomas.
Immediately earning the starting nod, the Cebuano guard provided instant impact as he was a dog on defense and was fearless on his drives.
Expect his numbers of 3.33 points and 1.33 rebounds to go on an uptick, as the Growling Tigers buckle down to work in their quest to make it back to the Final Four.
Jhon Calisay - Adamson
Adamson coach Nash Racela put a lot of pressure on his veterans to act their age in this campaign, and Calisay has been up to the task.
The effort is there for the forward out of Balangiga, Eastern Samar, but the problem has been consistency.
He did put up a season-high 12 points against UP and even made that game-winning assist to Joshua Yerro against NU, but if the Soaring Falcons are indeed serious in their goals of surprising the league, Calisay must find a way to hike up his numbers of 4.29 points and 4.57 rebounds.
Reinhard Jumamoy - National U
National University’s disastrous first round is now a thing of the past, and its second round drive must see a lot of heroes step up – particularly RHJ.
No, not Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. We mean Reinhard Jumamoy.
We know how good the former UAAP Juniors MVP is, but he has to be smarter in his sophomore season now that he’s getting longer minutes on the floor. Putting up only 5.57 points, 1.86 rebounds, and 1.43 assists, his contributions will be important if the Bulldogs want to make a late Final Four push.
Janrey Pasaol - FEU
Much has already been said about Far Eastern University’s youth brigade, but for it to really take off, Pasaol’s consistency is a must.
Though he’s gotten the starting nod in all seven games, shooting has been suspect for the younger brother of former UE super scorer Alvin, as he’s only shot 26.87-percent from the floor, a blot on his averages of 7.57 points, 4.71 rebounds, and 2.43 assists.
If Pasaol could clean up his offense more, the Tamaraws are indeed going to be a dangerous draw for any opponent for the remainder of this season.
Chris Koon - Ateneo
This probably isn’t how Koon imagined this year would go.
Ateneo’s struggles are unheard of, and that goes as well for his atrocious field goal mark of 21.95-percent.
Going 0-of-8 against UE will continue to haunt him, but the faster he moves on from that bad day, the better it is for the Blue Eagles, as he looks to rise from only posting averages of 5.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.
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