Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Shortly after winning the 2016 Filoil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup title, La Salle now shifts its focus on the upcoming UAAP season.
And for DLSU coach Aldin Ayo, there’s no room for the Green Archers, who swept their way to the championship, to feel any sort of complacency.
“Madami pa kaming lapses. We’re going to work on that and eto naman ang objective namin, na kung mataas ang na-achieve namin ngayon, we will not be satisfied with that,” Ayo said after his team trumped Arellano, 86-74 in the one-game championship duel on Sunday.
“We’re still going to continue improving, continue working hard, kasi this is just a preparation naman. Our main concern, our priority of course is our mother league which is the UAAP.”
The pressure will be on La Salle and a lot of it will also be on Ayo. He steered Letran to its first NCAA crown in a decade as a rookie coach and he’s expected to do the same with a star-studded La Salle squad led by the hulking Cameroonian import Ben Mbala.
Ayo said part of the Archers’ preparations for the 75th Season of the UAAP is to play tune-up games against teams in the PBA.
“I’ve talked to boss (Danding Cojuangco) already na mag-arrange kami ng mga tune-up games sa San Miguel Corporation na teams sa PBA,” Ayo bared. “So it’s either San Miguel or Star or Ginebra.”
“I’ve also talked to Boss Mikee (Romero) also kasi gusto rin namin maka-experience ng kalaban sila Terrence Romeo and (Stanley) Pringle doon sa trap namin,” he added.
An overseas trip could also be in the works as part of the team’s buildup.
“Depende na kay boss at sa mga managers kasi may gastos yan,” he said. “Aasahan ko naman na kung anong pwedeng gawin para mas mag-improve ang team, nasa kanila na yun.”