Far Eastern University coach Nash Racela said the Tamaraws need to regain the spunk that carried them to the top as they try to halt a two-game skid even minus ace guard RR Garcia this weekend.
“We have to bring that confidence back,” Racela said of his Tamaraws, who have yet to win after an impressive 7-0 sweep of the first round in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
“I want us to focus on ourselves. In the first round, we didn’t focus on our opponents. We just focused on what we need to improve on. It’s now high time that we regain our old focus.”
But the Tamaraws have to do it without Garcia, the former MVP who was slapped with a one-game suspension for incurring two unsportsmanlike fouls this season.
Garcia will miss his first UAAP game in five seasons when the Tamaraws battle the streaking University of the East on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The suspension will also end Garcia’s record of playing the most number of consecutive games at 75, the highest among current players in the league.
“Without RR, somebody has to step forward,” said Racela. “We’ll try to look for some surprises against UE.”
Top MVP contender Terrence Romeo also tries to get out of a funk and regain his first-round form in which he averaged a league-best 22.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals.
But Racela said there’s no reason to panic yet even if National University (6-3) and UE (5-3) are closing in on the Tamaraws, who remained on top with a 7-2 record.
“It’s not really alarming,” said Racela. “In the first round, we didn’t expect it to be smooth sailing. But now, we’re the target. Teams have adjusted against us, so it’s our responsibility to counter.”