With only 10 players on their roster, not many thought that the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars had what it takes to finish second in the classification round and hold a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals of the 16th Cesafi men’s basketball tournament.
Yet this all-Filipino crew, one full of grit and determination, has made believers out of doubters as they won nine out of their 12 games, highlighted by an incredible 73–67 come-from-behind victory over the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers.
While most basketball pundits and observers are surprised by the Jaguars’ rise, the players themselves are not. And why would they be after an off-season where they shed blood, sweat and tears from grueling practices, exhibition matches and tune-up games?
It is from that collective effort that they have come to trust the system and even more importantly, one another, said team captain Nelvin Navarra.
“We jelled together as a team, and each one of us knows what kind of role we’re going to play for the good of the team,” said the wide-bodied big man who has come into his own this season, becoming an all-star along with his teammates RJ Dinolan, Miguel Gastador and Jaybie Mantilla.
Cliché as it may sound, the Jaguars have adopted the next-man-up mentality after their numbers was reduced to just 10 after academic issues prevented several of their key cogs and recruits from suiting up this season. Their diminished numbers, though, have not stopped them from playing a frenetic pressure defense that, more often than not, fuels their high-octane offense.
Sophomore wingman Tricky Peromingan believes in the system that utilizes the best of their abilities: speed and shooting.
“The key is just our system. Every game, we keep following the same system and what coaches tell us. That’s really our bread and butter. We just have to convert our defense into offense. We know we are undermanned and we don’t have an import that’s why we give our best in every game,” said the spunky shooting guard from the Far Eastern
University, who struggled early in the season due to the passing of his father but has steadily found his rhythm and stroke back.
With the playoffs set to start next week, do the Jaguars have enough gas in the tank to push through? Navarra said he has no doubt in his mind that they do.
“We’re in a good position for the shot at the finals, and I think our conditioning coaches are doing great maintaining our stamina and endurance,” the big guy said.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
