Isaac hopes to see FEU connection thrive in Blackwater

Raymar Jose was picked third by Blackwater in the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

Will Far Eastern University’s championship glitter rub off on Blackwater in the PBA?

Coach Leo Isaac tabbed another FEU standout in the PBA Rookie Draft, picking Raymar Jose third overall on Sunday.

The hardworking forward is set to pair up with former Tamaraw teammate Mac Belo, with the two expected to be the cornerstone for the Elite.

“It’s great. As I call them, they’ll have that FEU connection. We’re looking forward to have a good tandem with Raymar and Mac,” Isaac said.

Belo has also taken note of Jose sheer improvement from a hard-nosed garbageman to a capable two-way post threat.

“Since I graduated, he has really improved a lot. He has taken FEU to the Final Four and gained experience everywhere. With that experience, he can really be a big contributor for us,” said the incoming sophomore.

Isaac explained that with the league’s best teams loading up on frontcourt players, it’s just right for the Elite to also bolster their big man rotation.

“We need to invest on our bigs. That’s how you compete in this day, to have capable big men so we also need to reinforce our frontcourt,” the coach said, as the 25-year-old bruiser will not only pair up with Belo, but also hungry slotmen like JP Erram, Dave Marcelo, and Chris Javier.

Belo also welcomed the bigger responsibility, knowing that with the materials Blackwater has, it’s more than ready to compete with the league’s bests.

“We know we can match up against everyone. Here in the PBA, you have no choice but to defend bigger foes. But we believe we have the right pieces to reach our goals and we’ll just follow everything coach tells us,” Belo said.

Jose is not the lone haul for the Elite in the annual rookie selection as Blackwater also tapped Renz Palma, Biboy Enguio, Kyle Neypes, and JR Sumido.

Isaac shared that he’s very happy with the players he got and he’s positive that they will give Blackwater a fighting chance.

“It’s hard to say where we’ll land, but one thing I can say is that we’ll be there fighting those top teams each game we play. We will compete,” he said.