San Beda guard Baser Amer will again be running the show for the Red Lions in their quest for a sixth straight NCAA championship next year. AUGUST DELA CRUZ
MANILA, Philippines—Following his appointment as the new head coach of San Beda, Jamike Jarin and the school’s star point guard Baser Amer found themselves at the same place at the same time.
Jarin helps run practices for the Meralco Bolts at their gym as an assistant coach while Amer trains at the same gym as well where his PBA D-League team Hapee also holds its practices.
Jarin saw that as a timely opportunity to reach out to Amer who, at the time had yet to make his word if he’d return for his final year.
“I had a chance to talk with Baser because Hapee was practicing in Meralco. So I had a chance to talk to him,” said Jarin, who was officially named head coach last Wednesday.
“Actually, I never asked him, ‘Are you playing next year?’ Because it’s kind of awkward if I ask him that. I just reached out my hand and I told him, ‘Paki tulungan mo naman ako (Kindly help me out)’ and he said yes,” Jarin recalled in a recent interview.
And Amer wasn’t kidding after all. Amer said on Monday that he would return to the Red Lions next season.
“Gusto ko maglaro and gusto ko rin tapusin yung fifth year ko (I want to play and finish my fifth year too),” Amer said shortly after Hapee won over AMA University in the team’s PBA D-League debut.
There were speculations about his plans after he couldn’t tell if he’d come back when he was asked by reporters the day San Beda clinched its fifth straight championship early last month.
“Sabi ko after championship i-enjoy ko muna yung moment pero na-realize ko na gusto din talaga maglaro (I said after we won the championship I will just enjoy the moment but I realized I really wanted to play),” added Amer, who was the Finals MVP during the 88th Season.
While Amer assured his commitment to the team, Nigerian center Ola Adeogun remains undecided.
“That’s still a long way to go. I’m still focused on the D-League and let’s see what happens,” said Adeogun, who still has one playing year left.
Adeogun said he has yet to speak with Jarin or the San Beda management regarding his decision.
Bringing the 6-foot-8 center Adeogun back will be a major priority for the Red Lions, who lost three of their big men in Anthony and David Semerad and Kyle Pascual due to graduation.
But getting the assurance of Amer’s return was perhaps the first order of business for Jarin and the Red Lions.