WILL a 12-day lull slow down defending champion University of the Philippines?
The answer will be known today when the Fighting Maroons battle Far Eastern University as the 85th UAAP basketball tournament resumes at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The match is set at 4:30 p.m., with UP trying to stretch its winning streak to seven.
National University takes on University of the East at 1 o’clock after struggling La Salle clashes with Adamson University in the curtain-raiser at 11 a.m.
Ateneo squares off with University of Santo Tomas at 6:30 p.m.
Maroons coach Golden Monteverde said his troops are eager to improve despite their pacesetting 9-1 mark.
“We really need to work hard more. We need to look on what needs to be improved — definitely marami pa,” Monteverde said after UP clobbered the Red Warriors 83-69 last Nov. 5 before the league took a break to give way to Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
“Ang maganda naman dito everybody is really committed to the process of building a team, nandoon naman iyong isip namin palagi,” he added.
The likes of Carl Tamayo, Terrence Fortea, 6-foot-11 Senegalese import Malick Diouf, James Spencer, Zavier Lucero, and JD Cagulangan will be counted upon by UP.
Holding a 4-6 slate in a tie with UE, FEU is raring to rebound from a 60-71 loss to the Bulldogs also last Nov. 5.
The Tams will rely on Bryan Sajonia, Xyrus Torres, and Patrick Sleat.
“Hindi naman puwede kaming magpahinga, porke’t nakuha namin iyong two-game winning streak Ang sabi ko sa kanila, during the first round, iyong challenge sa kanila na we must give kung ano ba iyong identity namin, as a group,” NU tactician Jeff Napa said. “(Now), ang challenge din naman sa kanila, how to be consistent doon sa identity na iyon. Kasi hindi kami puwede mag-relax talaga.
“If we want to achieve something to our main goal, talagang we have to be consistent doon sa ginagawa namin. So ayun nga, to be consistent kung ano man ang ginagawa namin, we do it our way, not their way.”
