Much has been said about the potential of the Far Eastern University Tamaraws to win the UAAP championship this season. With a roster packed with great amateur players, that projection isn’t without foundation. But while this perception can be flattering, it can also be your own worst enemy.
“What people have been saying about us being contenders this year has gone to their heads,” FEU head coach Glenn Capacio said a few days after their opening day loss to Ateneo Blue Eagles. “It wasn’t the skill or the system. The problem was that they [the players] I thought they were too good and that no team was going to beat them.”
In a potential UAAP Finals preview, the Tamaraws came out strong, jumping out over the Blue Eagles early and quickly building a 17-point lead in the first quarter.
But the Blue Eagles fought back, coming out of a double-digit hole to an 11-point halftime lead.
“What happened in the Ateneo game was not our game,” said Capacio. “We weren’t moving the ball. We only made one or two passes before shooting.”
Ball movement was only one side of the problem. The Tamaraws also had a big problem with Rabeh Al-Hussaini, the reigning UAAP MVP, who scored the majority of his 18 points in the second half.
And although the Tamaraws managed to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter, the Blue Eagles had a stronger finish as the game ended in favor of the defending champions, 63-59. Fortunately for the Tamaraw, experience can be a good teacher. Against the De La Salle Green Archers, the Tamaraws had a more even score as they shared more of the ball. Led by Andy Barroca, four Tamaraws scored on double tricks.
Barroca had a team-high 15 points and Ryan Garcia had 12. Reil Cervantes came off the bench to finish with 11 points, while Ric Cawaling added 10.
“We played as individuals, not as a team,” said Mark Barroca, who had 15 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes. “We made sure to have more ball movement against La Salle.”
The Tamaraws also played better defense when Capacio inserted Casey Caluag, a scrappy defender, into the starting five.
Caluag’s two points in 25 minutes did not seem to justify his place in the starting eleven but Capacio’s explanation was undeniably simple but spot on.
“I put him in the starting five because not everyone can be a shooter. We also needed a role player,” said Capacio, whose Tamaraws forced the Green Archers to commit 18 turnovers and shoot just 23 percent (14 of 61). from the field en route to their 65-51 victory.
With the Green Archers in a rebuild mode and the UST Growling Tigers and UE Warriors still on the air, the only go-to for the FEU Tamaraws at the moment is the Ateneo Blue Eagles. And they will have another chance to exceed that expectation in the second round. Capacio can only hope that the Tamaraw have learned their lessons.
“The positive thing about that loss is that we lost early,” Capacio said. “It’s better that we lose early than lose late in the season. We learned from that.”
