WHILE there are no promises, newly appointed University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers head coach Aldin Ayo said they will be much different from the cellar-dwelling team in UAAP Season 80.
Ayo, who transferred from De La Salle University Green Archers, said he is still in the process of instilling his famous “Mayhem” system to UST’s returning players as well as their new recruits.
“Rest assured everyone will be given equal opportunities,” said Ayo. “We’re going to have the whole season for that and we’ll make it final before the UAAP starts.”
Among the holdovers from last year’s squad are Marvin Lee, Steve Akomo, Regie Boy Basibas, Zachary Huang, and Jordan Sta. Ana. Returning from one-year absence are Henri Lorenzo Subido and Mario Bonleon.
Aside from veterans, UST also has a number of new recruits, led by UAAP Juniors MVP Crispin John Cansino, who decided to stay put in yellow and gold despite receiving lucrative offers from other schools.
Also coming in for Growling Tigers this season are former NCAA standouts Michael Enriquez and Sherwin Concepcion from Mapua, Kobe Caballero and Toby Agustin from Jose Rizal University, and Macoy Marcos from La Salle Greenhills.
Another big recruit for Tigers is former San Beda Red Cubs center Samuel Abu Hijleh but he will wait until next year to play after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury recently.
All in all, Ayo said he wants to temper the expectation of UST fans, unlike when he was still with Letran and DLSU where he claimed the championship on his first year, as the UST rebuilding started from scratch.
“We’re going to maximize their potentials. I’m just going to allow them to play, make sure they enjoy the game and, of course, we’re going to instill the work ethic that we want because this season, we’re going to be the hardest working team,” Ayo said./PN
