Tratter relishing tandem with Mbala

Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

All eyes may be on Ben Mbala, but Abu Tratter is slowly coming into his own, as he and the Cameroonian import form a potent twin tower combo for La Salle.

But while that tandem has come as a surprise to many, the 6-foot-6 Tratter said it’s not something new to the Green Archers.

“It’s definitely fun to have both of us on the floor. It’s reminiscent of three years ago when we played in Team B,” the Fil-Am center recalled.

Tratter said his game compliments Mbala’s and the two have also learned how to create balance among themselves on and off the court.

“Me and Ben definitely balance each other out. He’s more of the loud guy and I have to calm him. We just bring the energy, for sure. If everybody else is low, we just keep on pushing.”

Tratter believes the coaching staff deserves a lot of credit in discovering this tandem of theirs as the two lorded over the competition in the 2016 Filoil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup.

“I think the whole coaching staff has been working on overall confidence in the team. We all pretty much dove in and believed in the system from the get-go,” he said after La Salle beat Arellano University to nail its fourth Filoil crown.

Tratter thinks the preseason title is just a prelude of what’s to come this UAAP season.

“We don’t stop here. We’re going to continue to work hard and improve. We’re gonna go for that title,” he said.