Colegio de San Juan de Letran head coach Allen Ricardo is set to make a tough yet highly-important decision soon as he trims down a wide pool of players to make the final roster for the Knights' NCAA Season 100 campaign.
The champion juniors tactician shared he has more than 30 players in the current pool and will narrow it down to at least a 15-man lineup that he will field when the Muralla crew opens a fresh campaign in the centennial season.
Ricardo welcomes this task, but stressed everyone still has to fight for their spot.
"Nando’n pa kami sa stage na I'm trying to figure it out kung sino ‘yung mas magfi-fit sa ginagawa namin so we'll see in a couple of days kung sino ‘yung mags-stay sa team," Ricardo said on Wednesday following their battle for bronze medal match against FEU in the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup.
Titing Manalili, one of Letran's prized recruits from its high school program, echoed Ricardo, saying he has to prove that he is worthy of making the cut despite boasting a rich resume that included back-to-back titles in the junior ranks with the Squires.
"Ang dami pang recruits kaya tine-test pa kami ni coach Allen. Sabi nga ni coach sa akin, ‘wag na ‘wag ako maging complacent kahit na may napakita na ako noong high school kasi nga pukpukan na sa college," Manalili told GMA News Online.
"Fighting for spot pa rin ako. Palagi akong nagpapakita, lahat ng hinihingi sa akin ni coach Allen pinapakita ko sa kanya na dapat worthy ako sa spot na ‘yon."
But Manalili, the Finals MVP of Season 99 finals against the Perpetual Junior ALTAs, said he's ready to fill in any role that Ricardo will give him.
"If makuha ko ‘yung spot, ready na ako. Ready ako tumulong sa Letran para sa Season 100."
If the recently-concluded Filoil tilt is any indication, the Knights have a deep and talented pool of players with the likes of Manalili, Jovel Baliling, Pao Javillonar, Deo Cuajao, Jimboy Estrada, Raphael Go, James Jumao-As, Nat Montecillo, Stephen Garupil, and Kint Ariar all fighting to get a place in the roster.
Still, Ricardo insisted they have yet to reach at least half of what's needed in order to compete with the likes of star-studded and defending champion San Beda, as well as the favored De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
Ricardo also agreed that Letran is on the right track right now given how the team fared in the FilOil tournament, where the Knights emerged as the top seed in the NCAA pool before wielding the upset ax on Precious Momowei-led University of the East in the quarterfinals.
Against the Tamaraws, the Knights crawled back from 17 points down but lost by two points to settle for fourth.
"Sa 100 percent, siguro nasa 15 pa rin kami. Marami pa kaming kailangang balikan and again, marami pa kaming kailangang habulin like sa CSB, San Beda, EAC, Mapua...," Ricardo added.
"We need to regroup as a unit para maayos namin ‘yung opensa at depensa namin."
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
