JUST two weeks before the 87th UAAP basketball tournament comes off the wraps, University of the Philippines is making one final push in its build-up.
The Fighting Maroons’ mettle will be tested by a number of top teams from Chinese Taipei and Thailand in Keelung City as one of eight squads seeing action in the Interleague Play that got going last Saturday at the Keelung Gymnasium.
Reeling from two straight bridesmaid finishes, UP is training its sights on getting over the hump with JD Cagulangan, Harold Alarcon, and reigning Rookie of the Year Francis Lopez showing the way.
Out to bolster the Maroons’ bid are Fil-Ams Quentin Millora-Brown, Gani Stevens, and Jacob Bayla, as well as Nigerian import Dikachi Udodo.
“We are aware of the expectations,” UP coach Goldwin Monteverde said. “Siyempre, and we welcome them naman.
“Pero tayo naman, ever since, ang focus natin is getting better each game,” he added.
Thailand’s Bangkok University and Chinese Taipei’s U-22 Elite Team, Asian University Basketball Championship Representative Team, Bank of Taiwan, Changhua BLL, Taiwan Beer, and the TPBL team in the single-round robin tournament organized by the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association will clash with the Katipunan-based crew.
The Maroons will return home on Aug. 31, right after finishing their third overseas trip in their pre-season which also included training camps in Serbia and Korea.
