By MARK REY MONTEJO
Kean Baclaan waited for a year before he could finally suit up for La Salle in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament, but sadly and unfortunately, his comeback to the premier league was cut short – his dream stalled once again.
This as the 21-year-old shifty guard disclosed that he will be sidelined for the rest of the season after sustaining a right medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear.
“This is what I prepared and worked hard for the whole year, and now it’s suddenly gone just like that. I just want to say that I’m out for the entire season, and this isn’t what I wanted or expected to happen,” Baclaan wrote.
“I cried so much last night and felt really down about my situation, but I just kept thinking about my future for my family and my career,” he added.
The mishap occurred in the payoff period of La Salle’s 111-110 overtime escape over University of the East last Wednesday night at Mall of Asia Arena.
With UE’s Wello Lingolingo inadvertently falling to Baclaan’s right knee at the 4:20 mark everyone was horrified to see the La Salle star grimace in pain. He was taken off the court on a stretcher and then directly underwent to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Lingolingo was then slapped with an unsportsmanlike foul (category 2) and was eventually ejected him after having committed a technical foul earlier.
But league officials saw it otherwise, thus banning Linglingo for three games.
“While the referees had already called for a jump ball, Lingolingo dove for possession and landed on the right knee of La Salle’s No. 13, Kean Baclaan,” it added.
“Upon review, it was determined that the foul involved excessive and forceful contact made by a player in an attempt to play the ball or an opponent,” UAAP continued.
Also likely to be sanctioned is UE coach Chris Gavina as he raged against the referees.
Baclaan’s MCL tear compounded La Salle’s injury woes since Mason Amos is still nursing the same injury he sustained in their 82-78 defeat to National University last weekend.
Amos’ condition is not as bad as that of Baclaan as he is expected to play anew in the second round.
Baclaan, a former NU Bulldog who transferred to the Taft-based squad two years ago, thanked the fans for their continued support and promised to come back stronger for his final year as a Green Archer.
“To the DLSU community and everyone who’s been worried about me, I truly appreciate all your care and concern. Thank you so much to everyone who messaged and called to check up on me,” Baclaan.
“Please don’t worry I’ll come back stronger and finish my last year at DLSU,” he concluded.
