Young, talented and hungry Fighting Maroons brace for UAAP Season 84
MANILA, Philippines — The UP Fighting Maroons under new head coach Goldwyn Monteverde remain a talented, deep, young and athletic team entering UAAP Season 84.
Despite losing Kobe Paras, Javi and Juan Gomez de Liaño, Bright Akhuetie, JD Tungcab, Jun Manzo, Jerson Prado, and David Murrell, Monteverde has a pool of talent to immediately compete and stay competitive for years to come.
They have veterans returning for one last go-around in Ricci Rivero, JBoy Gob and Noah Webb. They also have James Earl Spencer who showed tremendous improvement during UAAP Season 82.
They have talented transferees in former Adamson Falcon CJ Catapusan who will help out in the four-spot, former UST swingman CJ Cansino, former CEU center Malick Diouf who gives UP a strong presence inside, former La Salle player Joel Cagulangan who will form a heady point guard duo with Gerry Abadiano.
Aside from Abadiano, they have “rookie” newcomers Carl Tamayo, RC Calimag, Terrence Fortea and Bismarck Lina.
Other members listed include Anton Eusebio, Zavier Lucero, Henry Galinato, Marco Arciaga, Alonzo Tan, Harold Alarcon and Brix Ramos.
What you have to like about this team is they have those players like Gob, Catapusan, Lina and Webb who think of the team first before themselves.
They will rebound, play defense, make the assist, and go for the loose balls. Plus, they will be willing to play the top frontcourt person of the opposing team.
These Fighting Maroons have players who can play a variety of positions — Tamayo can be that four to stretch defenses and open things up for Diouf.
They have players who can score in Rivero, Cansino, Fortea, Calimag, Cagulangan and Abadiano.
They will also have a solid backcourt in Abadiano, Cagulangan, Fortea and Calimag.
And they have players with national team experience in Tamayo, Abadiano, Lina, Calimag and Fortea that cannot be understated. They know they are among the country’s best.
In years past, UP supporters have said that they have their best team in ages.
Well, these Fighting Maroons might be their best.
They will definitely be in the fight for this year’s championship. Anything less than a Final Four slot will be a disappointment.
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