UST Growling Tigers. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—After begging off from several preseason tournaments, University of Santo Tomas looks to test its mettle against Korean Basketball League clubs in South Korea as part of its buildup for UAAP Season 86.
The Growling Tigers fly to South Korea on Sunday.
“We’re slowly building the team but it’s important for us to get the kids tested. We saw how they performed in practice but it’s still very different in the real game,” said returning UST coach Pido Jarencio.
“This will be a good challenge for us to see how much fight they have.”
UST, which will stay in South Korea for 11 days, is set to play six tune-up games against KBL teams and three more against top universities in the country.
The Tigers’ most notable game on tap, however, is their scheduled matchup with the Changwon LG Sakers, who has a Filipino import Justin Gutang.
Nic Cabanero and Adama Faye will spearhead the Growling Tigers while incoming rookies SJ Moore, Mark Llemit, Vince Ventulan and John Abate aim to show their worth in the exhibition games.
Also joining Jarencio on the trip are team consultant Bonnie Tan and managers Waiyip Chong and Eric Ang.
UST, which recently announced its partnership with San Miguel Corporation, has been having quite an offseason so far with the acquisition of several notable talents.
The Tigers are looking to regain their old glory following an embarrassing 1-13 campaign last season.