BEING Adamson's "one-and-done" player this UAAP Season 82, Valandre Chauca knew he had to quickly made his imprint.
And boy, did he leave one in only his first game for the Soaring Falcons.
The Fil-Peruvian guard was the lone bright spot for Adamson in its 70-52 defeat to Ateneo on Wednesday, introducing himself to the San Marcelino faithful with a bang.
Quite a splash for someone who's only been with the team for a total of five days.
"He only started practicing with us four days to be exact," bared coach Franz Pumaren. "Prior to that, he was gone for two months finishing his degree. So you can just imagine this is his fifth day coming from the States but no signs of jetlag."
Chauca showed his range as he went 3-of-6 from deep to notch 17 points and four assists, while also displaying his leadership as seen in him anchoring the Soaring Falcons' fightback from 22 points down, 48-26, and got his side within five in the payoff period.
His performance even left Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin scampering for answers, to which he offered nothing but praise for the UC Berkeley graduate who also had a brief stint with Enderun.
"We had no adjustments whatsoever," the American-Kiwi mentor professed. "He's just a good player. He's shifty and he's not easy to get a handle on. And when you've got (Gian) Mamu and Matt (Nieto) and Thirdy (Ravena) out there defensively and they're still having a hard time with him, you know that says a lot about the kid."
That's why Pumaren only feels fortunate to have someone like the 24-year-old Chauca, who not only can make things happen on the court but also command respect as a veteran for this youth-laden Adamson squad.
"He saw my game on YouTube so he wants to follow me," the nine-time PBA champion playmaker and member of the national team that won gold in the 1985 Fiba Asia Championship said jokingly.
"But actually, there were a lot of schools who were interested in him but he fell on my lap. We hit the jackpot on him. He’s a one-and-done player that you can really invest in," he continued. "He can help the younger guys. He can nurture the younger guys, be their mentor and he’s a welcome addition to us. I’m expecting more of him leading this team."
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