No major revamp for UST after UAAP-worst record; coach prefers ‘old school’ recruitment

UST coach Bal David during a huddle. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Despite ending the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament with the worst record, University of Santo Tomas is only looking to tweak a few things in its system.

The Growling Tigers finished with a 1-13 record but coach Bal David said the team will not go through major revamps heading into Season 86.

“[We’ll do] just a slight revamp, not really a major one. Because, if you say major, that means even the coaches are included, so just slight changes. We need those changes so I’ll tell the guys to stay ready,” David explained after their season-ending loss against La Salle on Wednesday, 77-72.

One of the changes the Tigers will have to deal with is the departure of Jamba Garing, who is already 25 years old and will not be able to compete next season due to age eligibility.

If all goes to plan, Cabañero will continue to be the high-point man after leading UST in scoring this season with 17.6 points to go along with 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per outing.

David also added that he is content with how UST finds its players and said he would much rather stick to “old-school” recruitment than give ludicrous offers to athletes.

“It’s hard on us to recruit high-value athletes. But it’s better to get used to that. It makes the goal sweeter, like old school. There’s passion and love for the game, I like it better like that. A lot is saying that’s not normal anymore but I don’t care because I love passion.”

Team-wise, the Growling Tigers placed in scoring with 59.9 points per game. They were also last in field goal shooting with a 33.4 percent shooting clip. 

The Tigers are also ineffective in sharing the ball with only 13.7 dimes as a team, tallying a league-low 6.0 steals per outing.

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