New UAAP coaches eye strong finishes

MANILA—Two coaches will make their return in the 74th UAAP men’s basketball tournament, while two others will finally get their crack at steering the schools they played for during their varsity days.

Eric Altamirano, a two-time champion in the PBA, and Bert Flores, who piloted Far Eastern U to their last UAAP crown in 2005, are back in the collegiate basketball scene as mentors for the National U Bulldogs and the Tamaraws, respectively.

Jerry Codiñera, one of the 25 greatest players in the PBA, makes his collegiate head coaching debut for his alma mater, the University of the East, just like Ricky Dandan, who takes over at the University of the Philippines.

With a young and talented squad at his disposal, hopes are high that Altamirano will be able to lead the Bulldogs to greater heights.

“It’s a big challenge for me to bring NU to a respectable finish,” said Altamirano, who piloted Purefoods to a PBA title right in his rookie year as coach in 1997, just one year after he was given his first head coaching job by UP.

The former lefty guard who was part of the 1986 UP champion squad that included Benjie Paras and Ronnie Magsanoc relishes the experience of coaching young players, having spent the past couple of years mentoring the national youth squad.

“I am excited and at the same time anxious since it’s been years since I last coached in college. But coaching the national youth team the last two years helped me prepare for this season,” said Altamirano, who will have the exciting Ray Parks in his lineup.

“Coaching has been my passion especially working with young players,” he added.

Another former UP player, Dandan, has the responsibility of turning around a squad that failed to win a single game last season.

More than anything though Dandan sees coaching the Maroons as an opportunity to give back to the school.

“I hope to make a difference not just in the  basketball program but for programs for student athletes,” said Dandan, a physical education graduate in 1985.

Dandan has more than 20 years of coaching experience, having served as mentor of the Manila Metrostars in the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association in 1998, after spending seven years as head coach of University of St. La Salle in Bacolod.

He’s currently an assistant coach for the Powerade Tigers in the PBA.

“I have a big task of rebuilding the team,” said the 49-year-old Dandan, whose brother, Manny, was a former coach of NU.

“Recruitment is the No. 1 problem. We are years behind.”

Recruitment seems to be the forte of Flores, who worked behind the scenes the past five years before finally getting recalled back into the FEU bench.

The Tamaraws’ key men—Aldrech Ramos, JR Cawaling and RR Garcia—were prized recruits by Flores.

“I am happy with the trust given to me by the school,” said Flores, who will have former teammates Vic Pablo and Johnny Abbarientos as assistants.

“There’s pressure on my part, because most of my players are graduating,” he said. “But I’m ready. I have a very motivated team that will play hard every game.”

Codiñera, known as the “Defense Minister” during his playing days, had a storied career as an athlete in UE, joining forces with fellow PBA legend Allan Caidic in leading the Warriors to the titles in 1984 and 1985.

He also made his presence in baseball and track and field.

While he still considers defense as his specialty, Codiñera, who played for three teams in 17 years in the PBA, believes the possibilities are endless for the Warriors.

“It’s not just about defense, I want them to learn a little bit of everything,” said the 44-year-old Codinera, a 10-time member of the PBA All-Defensive team.

Tigers have 400
reasons to do well

By Denison Rey Dalupang

IF THERE’S one reason the UST Tigers want to roar loudly in Season 74 of the UAAP, it’s because the school is celebrating its quadricentennial anniversary.

And for a student population thirsting for an end to a title drought, the thought of shaking off last year’s bitter 4-10 stint—the worst showing by the Tigers since their Cinderella finish in 2006—would be enough cause for celebration.

The Tigers, normally perennial contenders in the playoffs, did find something to build on from last year’s performance, showing it had somehow learned the art of outside shooting to surprise several opponents.

Eventually, the novelty wore off and the gaping hole in the middle was too tough to conceal when it mattered most.

But a bench facelift this season could change all that, even if UST will be parading a rookie-laden roster following a revamp of the usual line of stringers.

The Tigers sought to bolster their flimsy frontline and got what they wanted when their 6-foot-6 Cameroonian acquisition Karim Abdul was cleared to play.

“He improves on a daily basis and is very active,” said Jarencio of Abdul. “He’s the missing link to the squad.”

Aside from Abdul, who was reeled in from Sta. Clara International Academy, the Tigers will be gaining help from seven other rookies.

On top of this is the 6-4 former RP Youth gunner Kevin Ferrer, who should, at the least, garner a loyalty award from his school. The offensively-talented Ferrer turned a deaf ear to overtures from other schools and went from UST High to the Tigers’ senior team.

He and Abdul are expected to immediately mesh with gusty Chris Camus and marksman Jeric Teng to form a solid core.

“(Ferrer) will get his minutes, that I’m sure of. He will definitely be a key addition to our team for he can score and at the same time, guard bigger opponents,” said Teng. “But he really needs to beef-up and mature quickly in order for us to maximize his potential.”

The Tigers also landed another juniors MVP in ex-Jose Rizal University high school hotshot Louie Vigil, who will most likely fortify the Santo Tomas defense.

Jamil Sheriff, a prized recruit from Canada, will be asked to provide aid as back-up to veteran Jeric Fortuna.

“He’s a rare find,” noted Jarencio. “He will be a good fit in our string of point guards.”

UST faces the problem of losing shooter Clark Bautista, who will miss this season due to academic issues and will be missing action throughout the season.

“Clark is a shooter—you can never disregard that,” said Jarencio. “His absence will be a big loss, but we see it as a blessing in disguise. His vacancy will be filled by our rookies—we’re blessed with Kevin and Louie.”

“It’s going to be hard. We usually have defenders split whenever we’re on the floor at the same time. But now, I guess I’d be getting more defensive pressure,” said Fortuna.

How the Tigers fare without Bautista, one of the primary scorers for the Tigers averaging 11.14 ppg, will be a recurring theme for UST as it hopes to celebrate its 400th year one way or the other.