FEU won’t let inexperience affect UAAP title defense – Racela

MANILA, Philippines – A year ago Far Eastern University won the UAAP men’s basketball championship with 6 veteran players on board. This time, in Season 79, they will attempt to defend that title with a very young, inexperienced team. 

Can they do it?

“We won’t let it affect us,” said head coach Nash Racela, who is known for his optimism and his ability to capitalize on his players’ advantages. 

“We’ll just focus on the strengths that we have. I’m still positive that we could really compete this year. It’s going to be really tough but I think it still may be doable.”

(READ: Yay or nay? Predicting the UAAP Season 79 basketball tournament)

The Tamaraws won their first UAAP crown in a decade last season and after falling short in the Finals a year before that. Racela displayed his skills as a coaching tactician against the Kevin Ferrer-led University of Santo Tomas in a full 3-game series to finally end the drought. 

At the time, he had the likes of clutch forward Mac Belo, a matchup nightmare who was then named Finals MVP, as well as heady playmaker Mike Tolomia along with Roger Pogoy, Russel Escoto, and Achie Iñigo. 

Now Racela will look to Raymar Jose, Ron Dennison, Monbert Arong and even Richard Escoto to lead the champions. 

“That’s something that we lack now, that experience, compared to last year,” the Gilas Pilipinas assistant coach admitted. “We have a very young group now, very inexperienced. If I’m correct I might have 7 second year players and 5 first year players.” 

Jose, who plays center, was voted by his teammates as captain while 6-foot-4 Filipino-Kiwi rookie Kenneth Tuffin was Racela’s choice for co-captain.

“We want to encourage leadership from everybody regardless if you’re a veteran or a rookie, from Manila or from the province,” Racela explained. “The important thing is we can encourage and bring out the best from your teammates and you become a leader.” 

Unlike last season, the strong favorite to win the championship this year is De La Salle University, whom FEU is set to face first on Wednesday, September 7, 4 pm at the Mall of Asia Arena. 

Tensions between the two sides have been brewing over the past weeks up until the UAAP press conference, after a pre-season tune-up game was called off at just 3 quarters when tempers flared from both FEU and La Salle.

The rivalry is expected to heat up even more with Wednesday’s clash. 

“Well they have a super import (Ben Mbala). They have players who are really experienced, who’ll be playing their last year in the UAAP,” Racela explained why so many see the Green Archers taking the trophy to Taft this season.

“Their team now is almost like the team I had last year when you talk about experience. That makes them really strong and maybe a cut above all the other teams.”

Racela and first year La Salle coach Aldin Ayo carefully skirted around questions about the match-up during the press conference on Tuesday, August 30. Though both said it was time to “finish” the game they started a month ago.

(SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 79 basketball first round)

“Only thing I could say is that there’s always a weakness, there’s always a breaking point,” said Racela, who is noted for his knack for finding and exploiting the chinks in his foes’ armors, about how they can beat La Salle. 

“It’s for us 7 other teams to look for that. I can’t be specific right now but I’m sure there is something there.” 

Aside from La Salle, Racela also has his eye on Adamson University. With famed collegiate coach Franz Pumaren at the helm for the Soaring Falcons, they are easily one of the teams expected to pull upsets. 

Last year, Racela saw UST coming when no one else did weeks before the season began. Now he sees Adamson.

“Number one, their coach. Number two is the recruits,” he explained. 

“I think this year would be really exciting because again a lot of the teams would be really balanced except for one or two.”

The UAAP Season 79 men’s basketball tournament begins Sunday, September 4 with the opening ceremony to take place at host University of Santo Tomas’ campus on Saturday, September 3. – Rappler.com