By Jerome Lagunzad
Game Tomorrow
4 p.m. – Ateneo vs NU
(Game 1, Best-of-3 Finals)
Goldwin Monteverde is back in a familiar territory but feels he’s in for a tough grind on a different battleground after steering National University to a seventh straight finals appearance in the UAAP juniors basketball tournament.
Although he has plenty of crowns tucked under his belt after leading Chiang Kai Shek Blue Dragons in numerous Filipino-Chinese cage leagues, Monteverde, 48, admits he’s bracing himself for a tough best-of-three titular showdown with Ateneo counterpart Joe Silva and the favored Blue Eaglets starting tomorrow.
But the first-year Bullpups tactician is already relishing the challenge.
“Siyempre for a first timer, (it’s) very challenging. But same as ‘yung mga challenges na pinapasok lagi, it’s still a process. We really need to work hard for it,” he said.
What was expected to be a tough transition process since he took over the coaching post from three-time UAAP juniors champion coach Jeff Napa last year turned out to be smoother than Monteverde had expected – at least so far.
Even without do-it-all forward John Lloyd Clemente, NU remained to be a formidable force to be reckoned which it underscored behind a dominant 91-72 win over giant-killer University of Santo Tomas in the final phase of the stepladder semis last Tuesday.
