Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Troy Rike is never the one to shy away from physicality inside the basketball court.
After all, the National University forward relished banging bodies with the likes of June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar in the Gilas program.
What Rike, however, isn’t a fan of are the extra curricular motions that are borderline illegal inside the court.
The Wake Forest alum said going up against the big men of University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball tournament introduced him to a brand of rough play that was too dangerous for his liking.
“If you chest me I won’t like it but I won’t complain, but don’t go after my knees because that’s what I will use to make a living one day,” said Rike after their 69-61 win Sunday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
“If you look me in the eye and you got a problem with me it is what it is, but the extra stuff like the elbow in the free throw box out or going for someone’s knee there’s no need for that.”
The 6-foot-7 Rike had his battles with Ira Bataller, Germy Mahinay, and Enrique Caunan, but it was Mahinay who he went up against most of the game.
Mahinay and Rike even had a heated moment in the fourth quarter when the former pushed off JV Gallego during the Growling Tigers’ huddle in a dead ball situation.
“I just need to be honest because it’s not just me but the other people too,” said Rike, who had 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists. “Filipino style is being physical that’s great, but the other stuff I don’t like it.”