NEW Emilio Aguinaldo College coach Jerson Cabiltes has his work cut out for him in the 99th NCAA basketball tournament, but he vowed to guide the Generals to heights they have never achieved before.
“It’s not going to be easy. Most of the blue-chip recruits right now are with the big universities and colleges,” Cabiltes told Malaya-Business Insight yesterday. “I’m just looking forward to the challenge of guiding the team this coming season and hopefully we could enter the Final Four.”
Cabiltes, a multi-titled tactician in amateur, regional, and pro leagues (outside of the PBA), was tapped by EAC as its new strategist last Wednesday night vice Oliver Bunyi.
Bunyi tallied a 10-35 record in three seasons with the Generals.
Cabiltes signed a three-year deal at the Emerald Garden restaurant on Roxas Boulevard in the presence of EAC President Dr. Jose Paulo Campos, vice president for administration and Management Committee representative Lorenzo Lorenzo, and Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards team owner Bong Cuevas.
The Generals wound up dead-last with a 3-15 record in the last cage wars.
“We all know EAC has never reached the Final Four ever since it joined the league,” he said. “So, that is going to be our goal this coming season.”
EAC lost prized big man Allen Liwag, who opted to transfer to College of St. Benilde.
A Cavite native, Liwag was good for 10.2 points and 8.6 rebounds for the Generals in the last NCAA cage wars.
But Liwag suffered an injury that told heavily on EAC’s campaign last season.
