Goldwin Monteverde is already one of the greatest head coaches in UP Fighting Maroons history after helping the team win two UAAP championships. And he is not yet done. Not by any means. He might just be getting started, in fact.
After another strong start to the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament, guiding his team to back‑to‑back victories, the six‑year coach highlighted how much he trusts each and every player to perform well whenever they are called upon in games.
Monteverde’s Confidence in His Roster
In their season opener against the UST Growling Tigers, Coach Goldwin Monteverde used 12 players the entire game, with only one failing to score. Meanwhile, against the Ateneo Blue Eagles, he used a total of 15 players.
The reason for using such a deep rotation? Monteverde has full trust that any of the players he calls upon can contribute, considering how hard they work during practices.
“‘Yung confidence ng mga member ng team nandoon ‘yung full confidence namin sa bawat isa,” said Monteverde at the post‑game conference following UP’s rout of Ateneo.
“I think alam naman nila ‘yung commitment that’s involved in playing for UP and lahat sila I mean sa practices, binibigay naman nila lahat ng makakaya nila,” he added.
Aside from key players Veejay Pre and James Payosing, who both came off the bench, UP’s starters Rey Remogat and foreign student‑athlete Francis Nrouka also contributed double‑digit scoring, finishing with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Contributions From Everywhere
Back in their game against UST, it was guard‑forward Miguel Yniguez who made notable contributions off the bench, finishing with 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in 22 minutes of action. His performance served as another testament to the multi‑titled head coach’s confidence in his players.
“I think kapag makikita mo ‘yung players mo na really worked hard in practice hindi ka na magdadalawang isip na bigyan sila ng confidence eh,” he added.
That confidence is showing early this season, and the Fighting Maroons are looking primed for another deep run, much like in the past years. And with a talented roster that’s getting more and more confident, don’t be surprised if, by the end of the year, Monteverde is coaching for a third title.
