The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons are still a work in progress and they have to prepare better when they confront the La Salle Green Archers on Wednesday in the 86th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.
Complacency is a bad habit that the Fighting Maroons vow not to fall into as they battle a badly shaken Green Archers at 6 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“We could learn from a win. Napag-usapan namin iyung last two games namin. Every game na lumaro, we could learn from a win,” said Fighting Maroons’ coach Goldwin Monteverde after they smothered the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 110-79, last Saturday.
Monteverde said the team still struggled with its consistency on the floor, even when they got past the National University Bulldogs, 78-60, before they meet the Growling Tigers.
Earlier, the Adamson Falcons (3-2) battle the Far Eastern University Tamaraws at 2 p.m., while the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles and the Growling Tigers meet at 10 a.m., and the NU Bulldogs take on the University of the East Warriors at 12 noon.
Against the Green Archers, the Fighting Maroons will have to deal with two threats, Kevin Quiambao inside the paint, and Evan Nelle’s outside shooting, meaning they will have to be sharp on the defensive end.
The Fighting Maroons will have CJ Cansino and Malick Diouf delivering as expected with their averages of 14.2 points and 14.0 points, respectively.
And they also need to draw on the games of Harold Alarcon, Francis Lopez and JD in their need to stop La Salle’s other threats like Michael Phillips, Mark Nonoy and CJ Austria.
La Salle coach Topex Robinson said they were badly outrebounded, 43-57, when they lost the National University Bulldogs, 77-80, in overtime last Sunday.
And this will be their main focus when they try to bounce back against UP.