The blueprint: Green Archers look to improve as they head into UAAP Season 78

Three months can seem like an eternity in the UAAP. Roster and staff changes, injuries, new coaching strategies — these and more can come and go in the 75 or so days that stand between the end of the FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup Finals and the opening of the league’s 78th season.

Though their preseason campaign didn’t end on a high note, the DLSU Green Archers have utilized the FilOil tournament simply as a building block for a bigger prize: the UAAP basketball championship. With the thought of Mac Belo’s three pointer at the buzzer still lingering, coupled with the tough series against San Beda in both the PCCL and the recently concluded FilOil, La Salle is taking everything in, both the good and the bad, just to get better.

“Well siyempre it’s just preseason and we’re just here to improve,” Green Archer Jeron Teng mentioned after their finals loss. “The results don’t matter to us [in] this FilOil [tournament].”  

Newfound learning

Setting aside the preseason’s results, the Green Archers have discovered new things from their squad and the system they run on. Six players from last year’s roster have either used up their eligibility or have transferred to other schools, so the glaring concern was with the team’s depth as they head into the latter part of the year.

However, with not even a quarter into the year, DLSU managed to draw a top notch recruiting class, headed by former San Beda Red Cub Andrei Caracut, who averaged 14.09 points through 11 preseason games. Batang Gilas members Jollo Go and Lorenzo Navarro, LSGH’s Gboy Gob, and team B members Joshua Torralba, Larry Muyang, and Daryl Pascual saw action in the tournament and even shared the court during certain stretches of numerous games.

With a new and talented batch of rookies set to revamp their roster, La Salle’s concern with depth is now a thing of the past. This was evident in their FilOil game against UE, which saw the seven rookies combine for 46 of DLSU’s 96 points. Caracut and Torralba finished with 21 and 12 points, respectively, while Muyang, Go, Navarro, and Gob grabbed a total of 12 rebounds in that game.

“Well siyempre we got a lot of rookies so we have to gel together,” Teng remarked, with regard to what they have to work on in practice for the next few months.

Those who followed DLSU’s preseason tourney observed that there were instances wherein Green Archers head coach Juno Sauler employed lineups with four rookies and just one veteran, something that worked in the Green Archers’ favor as lineups with more youth than experience kept them at pace with their opponents and at times, gave them the lead. In some situations, it would be Muyang, Caracut, Go, and Gob, teaming up with veteran big men like Jason Perkins or Abu Tratter. Other lineups would have Caracut and Navarro manning the backcourt along with veterans Teng, Perkins, and Tratter.

“The purpose of that (fielding those lineups) wasn’t really to build their character, but to see how they can play together,” Sauler said. “Whether rookie or veteran, the rookies are mature enough already to act since they’ve been playing for a while in college, so that wasn’t the point.”  

Notable setbacks

Despite the positives, the Green Archers could not finish the preseason unscathed. Injuries hounded the team throughout the tournament, highlighted by the loss of Kib Montalbo, whom Sauler mentioned was someone he had high hopes for in the coming season.

“The only problem we had was we encountered a lot of injuries,” Sauler said. “That’s why I was trying to manage the minutes of Torralba and Sargent because they just came from injuries. I couldn’t play them too long. Arnold [van Opstal]’s still out because he had a sprain and then he hurt his back so it’s really just making sure everyone’s healthy also once the UAAP season starts.”

Aside from injuries, some of the usual tendencies that plagued DLSU’s previous seasons made themselves visible in the FilOil tournament. The consequences of turnovers have hounded teams from all leagues and even in the highest of levels and it has been a concern for DLSU for the past few seasons. Errant passes and lack of concentration were the evident instances when DLSU coughed up the ball in the preseason.

Furthermore, despite their decent showing in the preseason, La Salle’s rookies showed some hints of their inexperience and ongoing adjustment to the college ranks. Petty fouls, turnovers, and being outmuscled were the common examples of how the rookies were experiencing growing pains, which can be expected to be less frequent after a few games in the UAAP.

“The whole preseason was for us to find a way to get to know how each and every one plays,” Sauler explained, adding that they look into the strength of each player, what they need to improve on, and how they would best fit on the team. “So it’s more of understanding their roles. We’ve made wrong decisions [and] we’ve made right ones, but the FilOil season is preparation for the UAAP season. So it’s good, this experience is good for us.”

The future now

Even with all the expectations and the struggles that come with living up to them, the Green Archers and the Lasallian community have to be excited heading into UAAP Season 78. The new faces on the team will offset the loss of veterans Norbert Torres, Almond Vosotros, and Yutien Andrada, as well as the departures of Robert Bolick, Terrence Mustre, and Matt Salem.

“A lot of things, a lot of things,” Sauler said, when asked about pre-UAAP preparations. “This early we have to get in shape first.”

On paper, the team is as loaded as it can be. The only thing left to do now is to get everyone on the same page and work together towards one common goal, which is to bring the title back to Taft Avenue.

“We can’t be in the same shape as them so we’re gonna build on that slowly, get in shape, and at the same time get smarter, improve on all the little things that we can,” Sauler added. “[We’re looking into] everything that can help us.”