NCAA: CSB coach Charles Tiu calls out Will Gozum after subpar game

CSB Blazers’ big man Will Gozum. NCAA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—College of St. Benilde head coach Charles Tiu called out his star big man Will Gozum following the Blazers’ shaky win over Mapua on Wednesday.

Tiu was heavily disappointed with Gozum, who had a subpar game against the Cardinals.

“Yes, he (Gozum) may be the frontrunner for MVP but there are some stretches in games where what he does is mind-boggling,” Tiu said after CSB fended off Mapua, 73-64.

“After our win against Emilio Aguinaldo College, almost half of our session was talking to Will because I want him to get better. If he tells me he wants to play overseas or the PBA, he has to shape up. If not, he might just be a one-hit wonder.”

Heading into the game against Mapua, Gozum averaged 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the field.

Gozum was far from his usual form on Wednesday, scoring just eight points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field and grabbing five rebounds in 22 minutes of play. He also struggled at the free throw line making only two of his seven attempts.

“I still think there’s a reason why he had his struggles in the UAAP so we’re trying to develop him and overcome those to be better than who he was,” Tiu said.

Gozum, who spent two seasons with University of the Philippines before transferring to CSB, vowed to be better.

“I accept all his (Tiu) comments. I’ll bounce back but kudos to my teammates because they are always there. They were the ones who helped us to improve in this game,” he said.

With Gozum struggling, the rest of the Blazers picked up the slack with Miguel Corteza and Migs Oczon leading the way.

Corteza led with 17 points while Oczon added 14 points and eight rebounds.

Gozum is also grateful for Tiu’s guidance.

“He’s always a big help for me. He guides me and actually, he’s the one who gives me confidence. Without him, I wouldn’t play like this.”