MANILA, Philippines — The UP Fighting Maroons are beefing up their title retention bid in UAAP Season 85 with a training camp in South Korea set to run until Saturday, September 10.
Undergoing intense training meant that the Maroons got to test their mettle against top pro clubs in the country. Despite being a young team, the UAAP champions won two straight games against Korean Basketball League (KBL) teams, with the most recent one coming at the expense of Seoul Samsung Thunders on Tuesday.
Speaking to Philstar.com, members of the UP men's basketball team underscored the impact of their play in Korea for their quest for another UAAP title.
"The way sila maglaro, kakaiba talaga and sa amin, sobrang laking tulong yun kasi yung makakalaban namin mga pro na kasi dito so malaking bagay talaga," said JD Cagulangan.
Even Filipino-foreigners Antonio Eusebio and Henry Galinato shared that they struggle against the stiff competition brought by the Koreans.
Eusebio noted that the style of play differed as to what they were used to.
"Basketball here is definitely much different from the Philippines. I don't know, this players are just solid, I don't know, they're just really good," he said.
But for Galinato, who will play his one-and-done year for UP in UAAP Season 85 after sitting out earlier this year, he said that there is much to learn from their opponents.
"I guess cause we're playing against professionals and they're a lot more mature than we are, I think that's the biggest difference and they're a lot bigger and smarter, their IQ is a lot higher," said Galinato.
"But you could learn from what they're doing," he added.
Preparations for the UP Fighting Maroons are in full swing as the new UAAP season is set to unfurl on October 1.