Head coach: Rensy Bajar
Last season: 1-13 (7th place)
Key losses: Moriah Gingerich, Martin Pascual
Key returnees: Henry Asilum, Diego Darrio, JR Gallarza
Key additions: Noah Webb, Cheick Mohamed Kone, Jerson Prado, Jose Longa
It has always been UAAP’s doormat, but for season 78 the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons vow to change all that.
With a new coach handling the reins of a frenetic team, UP believes it can shatter the UAAP landscape.
Fighting Maroons head coach Rensy Bajar said Season 78 would be completely different for them especially with massive revamp which included a shake up of the coaching staff.
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“It’s a blank page for us, a new coaching staff, a new system, everything’s new,” Bajar said. “We are expecting to be a very hard working team especially on defense.”
“Actually we treat ourselves as a new team, the past is past, we are starting all over again. We don’t give importance to what’s happened in the past.”
Newly-instated team captain JR Gallarza seconded his coach’s expectations and said the players are feeling the coaching staff’s pressure.
“It starts with the coaching staff, they’re the epitome of tough love, they’re 80 percent tough, 20 percent love,” Gallarza said. “They don’t show the love too much but it’s there.”
As the Fighting Maroons start to change the public’s perception of the maroon-and-green, defense will be their first order of business.
Gone are the zones and calculated shifts, now comes a rabid press that’s tailor-made to exhaust opposing offenses.
“Our team has this ‘never say die’ attitude, we are going to be physical” Bajar said. “We are going to fight until the end.”
UP proved in the offseason that is was a changed team with a championship in the Filsports Basketball Association.
“The FBA was a very good experience for us, they proved they’re winners, they proved they’re champions,” Bajar said.