UST leaders Tounkara, Padrigao brace for bumpier second round after promising start

MANILA, Philippines – The UST Growling Tigers finished the first round of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament with a 4-3 record, good for fourth place behind expected standings-toppers UP (6-1) and defending champion La Salle (6-1), and surprise riser UE (5-2).

While it may not look like much of an achievement at first glance, UST is actually just one win away from tying its combined win total in the last three seasons — a horrendous stretch for the proud 18-time champion program that also saw 36 losses in that span.

Spearheading the newfound winning charge are former MVP candidate Forthsky Padrigao and standout foreign student-athlete Mo Tounkara, two of head coach Pido Jarencio’s most prized recruits in his lengthy rebuilding plan.

And as expected of team leaders, both stars are well aware that the honeymoon period for this batch of Tigers is over. The secret is out: UST is back in the Final Four mix and is not going away anytime soon.

“It’s not gonna be easy for sure. It’s gonna be tough to deliver. But through our preparation, we’re gonna put ourselves in a winning position. I know for sure it’s not going to be easy anymore,” said Tounkara, currently the league’s second-leading scorer with a 14.0 points per game average.

“We’ve already seen one another’s strengths and weaknesses, but then again, come the second round, there will be adjustments made, so we’re just expecting for all our wins to be tougher next time,” added Padrigao, the league’s undisputed leading assist man with norms of 7.1 dimes per game.

Although the dynamic duo is certainly an indispensable part of the winning culture UST is trying to rebuild, other Tigers are certainly pulling their own weight to help improve their fortunes like third-leading scorer Nic Cabanero (13.6) and 10th-best rebounder Gelo Crisostomo (6.7).

Beyond them, UST has more highly intriguing pieces like veterans Christian Manaytay and Kyle Paranada, as well as rookies and former high school stars Mark Llemit and Amiel Acido.

Although they are not quite there yet in terms of title contention, as evidenced by their blowout losses to the top dogs UP (81-70) and La Salle (88-67), but the Tigers are certainly far removed from their dark days in the doldrums.

Day by day, the roars grow louder, and the rest of the UAAP is on high alert. – Rappler.com