TRUTH be told, the 12,155 crowd got to Veejay Pre.
Playing in his first 'Battle of Katipunan' with the University of the Philippines, Pre admitted the sheer noise and energy inside the Smart Araneta Coliseum gave him jitters, something that showed in his quiet first half against Ateneo.
“Nagulat ako kasi grabe yung crowd. Kasi first time ko sa ganun,” he told SPIN.ph after the Fighting Maroons eventually routed the Blue Eagles on Saturday.
“Ang ganda na na-experience ko,” he added.
For someone who had already been under spotlight during his Rookie of the Year-winning go-round with Far Eastern University in Season 87, the atmosphere surrounding UP-Ateneo still caught Pre off guard.
He managed just three points in the opening half and also got into early foul trouble, a far cry from the player who would eventually take over the game late.
The 21-year-old forward exploded for all but three of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, helping the State U pull away from their not-so-friendly neighbors.
READ: Payosing, Remogat propel UP to second half breakaway from Ateneo
The key, according to Pre, was merely moving on from mistakes.
“'Pag tinawag ako, laro lang ako. 'Pag may mali, bawi lang ako,” he said.
That approach, coupled with trust from coach Goldwin Monteverde, allowed him to finally play through jitters.
“Yun yung tiwala sa akin ng mga coaches, and in-embrace ko lang yun,” he said. “Sabi nila, 'pag nag-decision ka, panindigan mo.”
Fight for UP
But beyond the jam-packed crowd, what struck Pre most was the community behind UP.
The 6-foot-5 forward had already seen and heard the support during the preseason, but feeling it firsthand in a 'Battle of Katipunan' gave him a different appreciation for what it means to play for the Fighting Maroons.
“Grabe sila,” he exclaimed. “Kasi sa lahat ng games, pati preseason, nandyan talaga sila eh, sumusuporta.”
That support then gives the players an extra push.
“Pinaglalaban namin yung UP, tapos nandyan pa yung suporta ng UP, so talagang nagaganahan kami 'pag nakikita namin sila,” he said.
For Pre, the jitters were real. So was the feeling of finally settling in.
And by the fourth quarter, the UP transferee was no longer simply experiencing the latest clash between new-age fierce foes.
He was right in the middle of it as one of its protagonists.
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.
