MANILA, Philippines — The emotional rollercoaster ride for the National Univeristy Bulldogs has come to a grounding halt after the it was bared that Troy Rike is cleared to play for when the UAAP Season 81 hostilities begin this weekend.
“Troy will play this Saturday,” second-year NU mentor Jamike Jarin shared to the press during the launch of the league’s new season at the Mall of Asia Arena on Monday afternoon.
The development came four days Rike himself announced on Twitter that he will not be suiting up for the Bulldogs in the upcoming season.
Regarding Season 81.... pic.twitter.com/vTyJRvEAVy
— Troy Rike (@troyrike) August 29, 2018
“To be honest, it's been really a frustrating few weeks for us. You're in, you're not in ... We were just praying and hoping that everything will fall into place. We still have a few days left to prepare us for our first game on Saturday,” said Rike.
“He applied for his Filipino recognition certificate and it took some time before they finally granted it to him,” Nilo Ocampo, the UAAP president, chimed in.
“The boy was getting frustrated because it took some time before and kabado na siya because may deadline,” he said.
Ocampo noted that Rike’s papers from the Buerau of Immigration came in a day after the board meeting. “We presented that he applied for it, that it was coming out naman … Eventually, it came out at the right time.”
Rike is a product of the US NCAA Division I program. He played for four years for Wake Forest University, which churned out NBA products like Tim Duncan and Chris Paul.
Jarin admitted that he is thrilled to have Rike in the fold, saying “He just upgraded our roster.” But emphasized the circumstances doesn’t necessarily translate to wins.
“Any team that would get somebody with that experience and with the experience he had and as one of the players prospect in the Gilas 2023, that would be a big help. He's a 6'7", he can shoot, he's very strong,” he said.
“But that's not an automatic thing he will bring you won games e. Basketball is still a team sport and you need five players and 11 of your bench players to come in and contribute.”
Bulldogs open their Season 81 campaign this Saturday against the University of Santo Tomas, which will now be coached by former champion mentor Aldin Ayo.