Racela proud of Tolentino’s improved defensive effort

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

For the past three games, Far Eastern University head coach Olsen Racela has constantly pushed Arvin Tolentino to show more effort in the defensive end.

With a reward of more minutes, the power forward showed he could do the dirty work and bring the intensity off the ball.

“I always tell him that I want to see the intangibles, the more he plays defense, the more he gets rebounds, the more he boxes out, and gets rebounds the more minutes he’ll get,” said Racela Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After playing just six minutes against University of the East, where he put up 11 points and three rebounds, Tolentino averaged 20 minutes a game in the next three matches.

And with those minutes came averages of 16.33 points and 6.67 rebounds.

Tolentino capped off his impressive run with a career-high 23 points to go along six rebounds, four of which came from the offensive glass, to lead FEU over National University 90-83 on Wednesday.

“I think he’s giving more effort now, the effort is there and he just needs to be consistent with it,” said Racela.

The Tamaraws are now 3-2 in the standings, good for fourth place midway into the first round.