Desiderio shows off the championship and MVP trophies after leading UP to the Araw ng Davao hoops crown.
contributed
ALREADY a feared scorer known for his aggressive drives to the basket, a renewed commitment to working on his shooting mechanics has morphed Cebuano wingman Paul Desiderio into a more-rounded offensive weapon.
And he put his newfound shooting stroke to work in Davao where he scored 42 points highlighted by nine three-pointers to lift the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons over the defending UAAP champions La Salle Green Archers, 87-79 in the championship game of the 2017 Araw ng Davao basketball title at the Almendras Gym.
Desiderio was eventually named as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
The Liloan, Cebu-native Desiderio shared that he started honing his jumper at the conclusion of Season 79 of the UAAP, where he was named part of the Mythical Five after averaging 15.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
He related that it was UP head coach Bo Perasol and Café France mentor Egay Macaraya that advised him to extend his range out to beyond the rainbow arc, to give his defenders a different look.
“After the UAAP ended, that’s when I started focusing on my shooting. I put up nearly 500 shots every day. Coach Egay and Coach Bo pushed me to work harder on this part of my game since everybody is already defending me for my drives to the basket,” said the one-time Cesafi juniors MVP back in 2011.
In spite of the numerous accolades that have come his way, Desiderio remains focused on getting the Fighting Maroons back to the Final Four.
“We’re happy about this title but I’m not satisfied. I want us to make it to the Final Four this coming season. We are very optimistic. We can’t be sure of anything but as long we prepare enough and give our best, I’m sure we’ll go a long way,” said Desiderio.