MANILA – La Salle will be a very busy team this midweek as the team plays in back-to-back college preseason finals games.
The Green Archers swept the Perpetual Help Altas last week in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup semifinals to seal a place in the championship round against the San Beda Red Lions, which begins on Thursday.
However, La Salle also clinched a spot in the FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup final after dethroning National University in their Monday semifinal, and the showdown between the Green Archers and the UP Fighting Maroons for the championship is scheduled on Wednesday.
Assistant coach Gian Nazario conceded that a dilemma has ensued for the Green Archers.
"We can't do anything. That's the schedule given to us, so we just have to deal with it," Nazario said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission Conference Hall inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Tuesday.
While he officially functions as a deputy to new head coach Topex Robinson, Nazario is leading the way for the Green Archers' D-League campaign.
Currently, according to Nazario, they are focusing on the Fighting Maroons.
"Today, sa ensayo namin (in our practice), it's just really more on viewing lang just to keep the players fresh for Wednesday," Nazario said.
However, despite needing to shift their attention to another opponent in less than 24 hours, he said he sees this as an opportunity to get a reality check before they embark on their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) journey later this year.
"The main focus is really for us to see where we are now as a team," Nazario said. "We just take it one game at a time."
Meanwhile, Robinson is excited for La Salle's showdown with UP to gauge if they have what it takes to steal some thunder from one of the hottest teams in the UAAP right now.
"They're one of the barometers of the UAAP and we're glad to see where we're at against the cream of the crop of the UAAP," Robinson said on Monday night after the Archers' win over the Bulldogs. (PNA)
