Expectations are high for the FEU Tamaraws in UAAP Season 89, which will begin on September 13 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Head coach Sean Chambers, though, isn’t paying mind to anything else as he is fixated on one goal: win a championship for his team.
To help in achieving that lofty goal, the third‑year FEU head told reporters during a media scrum at the UAAP Season 89 press conference that he has instructed his players not to listen to the noise coming from anyone outside the Tamaraws’ inner circle.
“The expectation that we put into ourselves, whether we’re hosting or not, should never be on anybody else outside of our circle. We’re gonna have the highest expectation for ourselves more than anybody can anticipate on us,” Chambers said.
Far Eastern University, of course, is also the host this season, and that should only add to the already high expectations being placed on the Tamaraws.
Sean Chambers Stresses High Level in Everything
With pundits expecting much from this season’s hosts, Sean Chambers is just making sure that his team is focusing on doing things at a high level, whether it is practice or just committing to one another as a team.
“With that being said, that means our practices are always at a high level, our attention to detail is always at the highest level, our commitment to one another is always going to be at a high level compared to anybody outside our circle can ever put on us,” he added.
Chambers then added that whatever noise from the outside—including the pressures that come with being hosts—shouldn’t detract the Tamaraws from that ultimate goal of winning the title.
“It’s great that we’re hosting and it’s such an honor to be here at this moment in time for me as a coach that we’re actually hosting this year,” he said. “But with that said, whether it’s this year, next year, or the year after, it’s always going to be [about] trying to win a championship.”
A Breakthrough in the Works?
In Sean Chambers’ first year with the team back in Season 87, the Tamaraws finished sixth with a 5‑9 record. The following year, in Season 88, FEU came close to making the Final Four after posting a 7‑7 record for fifth place.
With the highly touted Cabs Cabonilas reinforcing a talented lineup led by reigning MVP Janrey Pasaol, Kirby Mongcopa, and Jorrick Bautista, the Tamaraws look uniquely positioned to end their 11‑year title drought in basketball. And for Sean Chambers, that’s the only goal.
