UAAP preview: Bulldogs out to provide more bite than bark

People passing by a refurbished building in F. Jhocson St. in Sampaloc, Manila, will see a refreshing outlook that erases the stigma of the school’s losing tradition. Yes, there’s an air of vibrancy inside National University, whose basketball team has been revitalized and given a new identity. A new management. A new coach. A new attitude. Definitely, the Bulldogs are ready to do more bite than bark in this season’s UAAP men’s basketball tournament. “The support of the management is overwhelming. They’ve provided us everything that we need," said NU’s first-year coach Eric Gonzales. “The bottom line is, a good institution with a good program with a good budget will become a good school." Since the SM Group of Companies took over the school, the Bulldogs have set their minds on how they can get out of the cellar. The team has been a perennial tailender and has the longest title drought, stretching over 56 years. Gonzales was a former assistant coach in some of the major basketball leagues like the PBA, the MBA, UAAP and NCAA. His first head coaching job will be tested this season. “It’s not easy as far as transition is concerned. But I’m trying to develop good relationship with the players," said Gonzales. From being the acknowledged whipping boys of the league, Gonzales wants his team to develop a new identity – to become the best defensive team in the league. “We take pride on that. Majority of our practices, we’re focusing on defense. The only way to be a contender is to be the number one defensive team in the league. That’s what we are focusing on," said Gonzales. The Bulldogs had a busy off season as they trained in Indiana with noted coach Ed Schilling, who is the camp director of the Champions Academy. The Bulldogs also fared well in pre-season tournaments. The Bulldogs will have six new breed on their roster, including Cameroonian Emmanuel Mbe, a six-foot-five slotman, who will anchor the team’s interior defense. “He is a monster inside," said Gonzales of Mbe, who once played for Emilio Aguinaldo College. Seniors Jewel Ponferrada and Mervin Baloran, the top rebounders of the team last season, will share frontcourt duties with Embe, while Kokoy Hermosisima, the sophomore guard, is expected to provide the scoring sock for NU. Senior Jerome Tungcul and juniors Joseph Terso and Marion Magat will most likely play vital roles so are Ajeet Singh and Larry Malanday. Other rookies include Yvan Ludovice from San Beda, Jeoffrey Javillonar from Rizal Technological University, Paolo Javelona from Bacolod, Glen Khobuntin from Letran and Joseph Eriobu, another Cameroonian. Gonzales sees the Bulldogs as a special team that is ready to erase its long years of miseries. “They are special. I can see the fire in their eyes and the winner within them. They still have to mature, but we are fast tracking that," said Gonzales. - RCJ, GMANews.TV