UAAP: NU bracing for challenging season, hopes young players step up

National University is expecting a challenging UAAP season ahead of them, especially after the heartbreak the Bulldogs experienced last season.

The Bulldogs ended the elimination round on top to claim the twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four.

However, no. 4 seed De La Salle University took them down before the Green Archers eventually reclaimed the men’s basketball crown.

“Definitely, alam nila (players) kung gaano kahirap ‘yung papasukin namin,” said head coach Jeff Napa during the signing of players Dwyne Miranda and Vince Reyes with shoe brand Anta.

“Hopefully, ang main concern namin kasi, like si Mo Diassana came from last year's recovery. Ngayon okay na siya, so hopefully, umabot, matapos niya ‘yung season nang healthy para at least maganda ‘yung performance namin kasama ng mga young ones.”

(Definitely, they know how hard it will be, what we’re taking on. Hopefully, our main concern is, like with Mo Diassana, he came from last year’s recovery. Now, he’s okay, so hopefully, he can make it, finish the season healthy and we can have a good performance along with the young ones.)

Napa also hopes his young players also step up with veterans Kenshin Padrones, PJ Palacielo, and Reinhard Jumamoy leading the squad.

“Hopefully, ma-adapt nila kung ano yung culture na ginagawa namin talaga,” he added.

(Hopefully they can adapt to the culture we’re building.)

Reyes, meanwhile, said they will just follow their coaches.

“Kasi, kagaya nang sinasabi nina Coach Jeff na ilalagay nila kami kung saan ‘yung tingin nila na makabuti kami at saka ‘yung sa tingin magiging komportable kami. Stick muna sa game plan tapos kusang darating siguro ‘yung good things na pwede mangyari. Siguro, add mo na lang great wins na,” Reyes said.

(Like Coach Jeff says, they will put us in the position where we can help and where we can be comfortable. We stick with the game plan and good things will just come. I guess you can add great wins too.)

“Playing on from our strengths, at saka sa sistema ni Coach Jeff, may tiwala din naman po kami sa game plan at saka sa sistema,” Miranda added.

(Playing on from our strengths and within the system of Coach Jeff, we have trust in the game plan and in the system.)

—JMB, GMA News