FIVE years away from the highest level of Cebu basketball can be a death sentence for most players. Fortunately for the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, point guard Arc Gabrielle Araw-Araw is not like most players.
And the heady court general sets out to prove just that as he leads a rag-tag USC squad in the upcoming Cesafi collegiate basketball wars that opens on Aug. 5 at the Cebu Coliseum.
A Rookie of the Year and Mythical Five award winner during his lone season with the Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles, a campaign that saw them win the high school championship, Araw-Araw has since bounced around several schools and teams.
It appears though, that the 5-foot-9 point man has finally settled down and is primed to showcase his talents at the collegiate level.
“Well, I was in and out with my practices. I wasn’t fully committed. I was just like any other kid out there. I lost focus but I feel right now that the hunger is back there,” said Araw-Araw in a sitdown talk.
“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity to play the game that I love at this level. It’s been a long time but now we are here and I’m truly grateful for that,” added the proud product of Pardo.
Though the transition for Araw-Araw has been smooth, it hasn’t been without challenges as his long-time coach Rommel Rasmo, a man he considers to be a father figure, got the axe a few months ago.
“For me, it hurts. Coach Rommel (Rasmo) has been a father figure to me but anything can happen. We just have to learn how to adapt and move on but I’m still confident with the team since there’s only minimal changes in the system. I still feel we’re going to compete and make it to the finals. That’s what we’ve been working hard all year,” said Araw-Araw.