Even though they failed to come back to the final four in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament, Far Eastern University Tamaraws co-captain Jorick Bautista delivered good news for their loyal fans: he will play his final year of eligibility with the team.
Speaking with Tiebreaker Times, Bautista confirmed that he will return as a Tamaraw for Season 89 as they make another push for the championship.
“Yes. Sure na sure,” he told the sports outlet. “Bahala na kung ano resulta niyan. Basta kami, kung may chance at palarin kami makalaro sa Final Four, pagtatrabahuhan namin hanggang dulo.”
Although the Tamaraws won their game against the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, they failed to return to the final four as the De La Salle University Green Archers defeated their archrivals, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, to secure the last spot.
Starting the season with a disappointing 1-5 win-loss record, Bautista and the rest of the Tamaraws improved their record to finish the season with a 7-7 card, defeating the final four-bound teams, Growling Tigers and the Green Archers along the way.
“Sobrang happy talaga. No regrets sa lahat ng nangyari kasi ito ‘yung pinagta-trabahuhan namin. Lahat ito sa training pa lang, pinupukpok namin ‘yung isa’t isa. Tsaka kung ano man mangyari sa Ateneo-La Salle game, hindi namin control, e,” he said.
“Control namin ‘yung game ngayon, e, which is ginawa namin ‘yung part namin, e.”
In Season 89, the Tamaraws will miss the services of graduating players Neil Owens, Miguel Ona, Aaron Bagunu, and Cholo Anonuevo, but the team will still have Janrey Pasaol, Kirby Mongcopa, and Mo Konateh.
“Sobrang saya. Sobrang bright ng future namin. Si Kirby, magso-sophomore year na. Marami na natutunan ‘yan, pati sila Janrey. Ang mawawala na lang sa amin is Ona, si Neil, at si Aaron, which is ‘yun ‘yung iwo-work on namin para i-fill in ‘yung mga sapatos nila,” he said candidly.
“Trabaho lang ulit. Kung ano yung pinakita namin this season, mas hihigitan pa namin next season.”
Now that head coach Sean Chambers has improved the team’s record in his second year of coaching with the Tamaraws, Bautista hopes that they will continue to improve next year and enter the final four.
“Nung rookie year niya, 5-9 kami. Ngayon, 7-7 kami tapos may chance pa makapasok sa Final Four. For sure, pagka-third year niya, papasok na kami ng final four. Sobrang daming experience ni Coach Sean kasi magko-coach pa siya sa Gilas, tsaka maituturo pa niya sa’min ‘yun. ‘Yun ‘yung advantage, isa sa marami, na dinadala ni Coach Sean sa team,” he ended.
