Alaska coach Jeff Cariaso has been optimistic even though the Aces have had a bumpy ride in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
He still had the same outlook on Friday afternoon, even if the Aces finished below .500 in the eliminations and will be colliding with the No. 2 squad in Meralco at the start of the quarterfinals on Sunday.
Alaska will be trying to topple a retooled and rejuvenated Bolts side—twice—to advance to the season-ending conference’s semifinal round, and Cariaso is unfazed.
Cariaso is not overconfident, nor is he complacent and is taking the Bolts lightly.
He just has faith in his crew, who had a roller-coaster opening round marred by multiple import changes, a five-game losing streak to open the tournament, and the trade where Alaska shipped out one of its most recognizable players to a bitter rival.
“I just want to say with pride that I’m happy with these guys going through all those hardships and still being able to find a way,” he said. “We have long ways to go, but I am glad we’re finding ways to win.”
His Aces, though, will have to dig very deep if they are to advance to the Final Four, with Frank House to battle one of the finest imports in the conference in Allen Durham.
“It’s really going to be a tough challenge for us, I’m not going to lie,” he said. “Their import has been named best for years. They’re well-coached. They’ve added a shooter in Allein [Maliksi].”
“But what I can be confident of is that we’re going to play better than we did in the eliminations,” Cariaso, who dealt away Chris Banchero to Magnolia, said.
“We’re an entirely different team now.”