FEU head coach Nash Racela knew what UST is capable of even before the 78th UAAP Season started. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Many counted University of Santo Tomas out and among the few who felt otherwise — that the Growling Tigers could be this good — is also the same man who will be at the opposite side of the UST bench on Wednesday.
It was three months ago when Nash Racela made a bold Final Four prediction that no other UAAP coach was able to foresee.
“I don’t think they’re in the bottom four,” Racela said of UST, a week before the UAAP season started. “I think they will challenge everybody.”
Fast forward to present day, Racela is on the eve of coaching Far Eastern University in its second straight trip to the finals with UST standing in their way.
Unlike the Tigers, the Tamaraws were tagged as the title favorites with their core players from last year’s finals run still intact.
FEU embraced the preseason label but Racela knew his team isn’t the only one made up of proven veterans.
“They always talk about us having a veteran core, but UST is another team that’s really heavy on veterans,” Racela said.
“We see ourselves in them,” he said. “A team composed of veterans and at the same time, a team that is hungry. That’s what we saw in UST, that’s why recognized them as one of the tougher teams to beat this year.”
Racela said most were fooled by UST’s showing last season where they only won five games and finished in sixth place.
“For most people, what they used as basis was the last season of UST. A lot of them used the preseason tournaments. Again, for me, it’s not the right basis. We look past that and by doing so we saw UST.”
Racela was on point with UST emerging with the top seed after winning 11 games in the elimination round.
Racela did not envision an FEU-UST final, but his faith in his players has him believing that this could be the year of the Tamaraws, who hold the most number of men’s basketball titles with 19 but have yet to win one since 2005.
“Honestly, I didn’t see this coming. But part of my vision was seeing FEU bringing in the championship. But the other team it’s somewhat vague, I had no idea. Now I know it’s UST. Our sights were only set on the championship regardless of who the other team is.”