Basketball doesn’t seem to be the hot topic at the University of the Philippines, the only state-backed UAAP team.
Just under three years ago, the UP Fighting Maroons made history when they became the second team to go 0-14 in the UAAP Basketball Tournament. Pep’s team seems to get more cheers and UP is rarely mentioned along the same lines as Ateneo and La Salle in conversations, unless they are academics.
Fighting Maroons head coach Aboy Castro is about to change all that.
Since taking office in 2008, Castro has put together one strong recruiting class after another and, by all indications, they are ready to give traditional basketball powerhouses UST, Ateneo and La Salle a run for their money.
It’s probably too early to predict a trip to the Final Four, but that’s what happens when a team beats an eternal champion team in a competitive preseason tournament.
There is more than meets the eye.
The Fighting Maroons’ 68-61 win over the De La Salle Green Archers on Wednesday is more than just a victory on the basketball court. It is a big step for UP’s efforts, led by Castro, to win the recruiting game.
“Like all programs, the head coach is really the top recruiter,” Castro said. “You have assistant coaches who do the scouting for you, but generally it’s your program and you have to sell it.”
Castro did well, winning a good chunk of the recruiting pie last season when he brought in Mikee Reyes from La Salle Green Hills, former UAAP Juniors MVP Mark Juruena from Adamson and Alvin Padilla from San Beda. This year, Castro is eager to play Mike Silungan, who recently completed his two-year residency requirement, and former high school standouts Jett Manuel from Xavier High School and Joshua Saret, the former JRU Light Bomber who made headlines. last season for his quadruple-double. performance at the NCAA youth tournament.
Silungan is a dynamic scorer and is perhaps the biggest reason the Fighting Maroons are rapidly emerging as a team to watch out for in the upcoming UAAP season.
“I waited two years for this guy. My team was young in 2008 when I came in and we knew there was going to be growing pains,” Castro said, referring to Silungan. “Coaches always want to speed it up, but sometimes you just have to go through that.
Averaging 24.7 points per game in the preseason, Silungan proved he can take over the games when he scored 35 points against the EAC Generals on Friday, leading the Maroons to a 78-75 victory despite the absence of Woody Co and Maggie Sison.
Saret is a surprise addition to the Fighting Maroons.
“It was a stroke of luck. We have been interested in it since last year,” Castro responded when asked how he attracted Saret, who made history after registering 89 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists and 13 steals against AUF Junior Danes. last season. “We continue talking to him.”
The Maroons are also thinking beyond 2010, hiring Alinko Mbah, a towering great man from Nigeria who has been seeing action at the Filoil preseason tournament. He will be eligible to play at UAAP in 2011.
So what draws these players to UP?
“The environment and culture,” Castro replied. “We don’t have the diets and facilities that the first three programs have, but they enjoy playing here and want to be part of the team to turn the UP around.”
