Team still not good enough, says SWU coach Mike Reyes

Mair Construction/Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma Cobras head coach Mike Reyes believes his team has a bright future.

But to reach its maximum potential, he said the team needs to work really hard.

As the Cobras prepare to compete in the cash-rich 8th Mayor Kim Lope A. Asis Invitational Basketball Tournament in the City of Bayugan, Agusan del Sur which starts Tuesday, Reyes revealed that there are a lot of things the team still needs to do before it could be battle ready for the Cesafi men’s basketball wars this August.

“The team plays very hard, but not good enough,” Reyes said. “Honestly, we have to make improvements in a lot of aspects in our game. I told the team to play better. We know that we’re not working hard enough. We just have to double our effort.”

Another Cebu team joining the Bayugan tournament will be the Phoenix Fuel Life-University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters.

Reyes said the Bayugan tournament is going to be a tough one for his team since Manila’s finest collegiate basketball teams in Vincare Pharma-University Sto. Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, Madyaw Construction-National University (NU) Bulldogs, and the ARQ Builders-Lyceum Polytechnic University (LPU) Pirates of Manila, together with Mindanao’s Greene Builders/Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan Crusaders will be joining the tournament.

Life for the Cobras would have been a bit easier if Fil-Aussie Joshua Lillas, a 6-foot-3 guard from Penrith, New South Wales in Australia, would be able to join them in time for the out-of-town tournament.

The 20-year-old wingman is set to arrive Monday night, according to Reyes.

But Reyes said that there’s a little chance that the Fil-Aussie guard will be able to play in Bayugan.

“He’s not that familiar with our system and he’s not also familiar with the entire team. Let’s just give him time to get used to us. Maybe he’ll be ready for the regular season of Cesafi,” Reyes said.