Lyceum coach Gilbert Malabanan. NCAA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Despite being the second best team midway through the NCAA Season 98 men’s basketball tournament, Lyceum is dealing with a huge problem in the paint.
After the Pirates’ 79-73 victory over Emilio Aguinaldo College on Wednesday, coach Gilbert Malabanan addressed the team’s rebounding woes.
“We are not that strong. If you look at my lineup, my players are small,” he said at San Juan Arena, post-game.
“My biggest players are just 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5, my smallest are about 5-foot-8 or something. Personally, I know we are at a disadvantage in height but when it comes to aggressiveness and heart, that’s what we have,” Malabanan explained.
Lyceum is the worst rebounding team in the league after the first round, placing tenth with only 43.78 boards per game. Top-seed College of St. Benilde norms 46.13 rebounds an outing as a team.
On Wednesday, their weaknesses showed up again as the Generals collared 43 rebounds while the Pirates only had 38.
The team’s waterloo is also the reason why Malabanan refuses to see themselves as the league’s second seed.
“Honestly speaking, I’m not looking at us as the second best team. I instill to my players that we are still beatable,“ he said.
Lyceum will have a one-week layoff before facing Arellano on October 26.