AT long last, the University of the Philippines is finally unleashing its do-it-all forward Veejay Pre.
After a year on the sidelines serving his residency after his ‘Pre-xit,’ the Season 87 Rookie of the Year could only do so much watching teammates Harold Alarcon, Gerry Abadiano, Terrence Fortea, Reyland Torres, and Janjan Felicilda cap off their collegiate careers with a UAAP Finals appearance against La Salle.
But even with the 6-foot-5 forward sidelined in the midst of their swan song, Pre holds zero regrets that he never got to share the floor with the ‘Maroon 5.’
Because for him, the guidance they imparted was more than enough.
“Siguro, hindi naman na, kasi nakasama ko sila sa practice,” Pre told SPIN.ph. “Palagi nilang kinakausap kung paano yung [kultura] ng UP. Ine-explain nila sa akin, palagi nilang nakakausap. Wag ko daw madaliin, step by step lang. So pleasure na nakasama ko sila.”
Throughout his residency, Pre faced a lot of personal battles that made the transition far from smooth, especially with how hard a decision it was to leave his peers at Far Eastern University.
“Siguro yung pinaka-struggle ko, noong mga first games ko kasama sila. Yung ang dami kong iniisip, ang dami kong gusto gawin.”
"Habang nagaantay ako, may mga ups and downs. Alam ko kasama naman sa buhay yun. Pero nag-enjoy ako habang sinusolusyonan.”
But as he finally settled in his new home with the help of his teammates, he slowly regained the confidence needed to make the impact that UP sought from him in the first place.
“Yung goal ko is kung paano ako makakatulong sa team. Ibibigay ko lang yung best ko. Kakausapin ko sila kung paano kami mag-sstick together, paano kami susunod sila yung mga struggles.”
From rookie to vet
Though it would effectively just be his second year playing in the UAAP, Pre already made one of the biggest jumps in his collegiate career — from rookie to veteran.
Even with a residency year in between, Pre saw a bigger sense of responsibility with his teammates, especially considering how heavy they plan to rely on him.
“Kailangan beterano na rin ako sa team,” he exclaimed. “Kailangan maging vocal rin ako, maging leader. Kumbaga, yun, day by day, na-improve ko yun.”
“Kumbaga, excited na ako mag-UAAP. Pero yun, palagi lang nila ako gina-guide na maglaro lang ako ng iniisip.”
With State U in transition, Pre’s return to form that once held him up to 13.2 points, seven rebounds, and 1.3 assists a game could very well dictate if the Maroons can remain as one of the title contenders in the coming season.
And though it took a while to get used to it, he now sees himself as not just a fit — but also a cornerstone.
“Tinuturo nila sa akin yung huwag ko daw madaliin. Step-by-step lang yung pag-adapt ko ngayon sa UP. Yon, ginagawa ko naman. And hopefully, magbunga.”
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