Harold Alarcon, UP motivated by title losses

FILE–UP Combating Maroons’ Harold Alarcon within the UAAP.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web

MANILA, Philippines — College of the Philippines guard Harold Alarcon is utilizing their back-to-back championship heartbreaks as gasoline to get again to the highest within the UAAP Season 87 males’s basketball match.

Alarcon was a significant a part of UP’s two consecutive runner-up finishes the place the Combating Maroons misplaced in do-or-die Finals Recreation 3 towards Ateneo two years in the past and reigning champion La Salle final yr.

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“Masakit siya, dalawang runner-up, dalawang Recreation 3 (finals) natatalo kami sa huli. Isang motivation sya sa akin kasi alam mo iyon, iyong feeling, iyong parang masakit (kasi) andiyan pa rin kaya siguro gigil kami makuha ngayon,” the fourth-year guard participant.

READ: UAAP Season 87 ideas off with Ateneo-UP conflict

Raring to regain the crown it final gained in Season 84, Alarcon mentioned the Maroons will take it one recreation at a time to ease up their crew from the excessive expectations.

“Sinasabi lang namin sa bawat isa no expectations at each recreation iisipin lang na ibigay lang yung finest,” he mentioned. 

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Armed with their coaching camps in Serbia, Korea, and Taiwan, coach Goldwin Monteverde is parading a stacked roster bannered by Alarcon, JD Cagulangan, Francis Lopez, Gerry Abadiano, Aldous Torculas, Terrence Fortea, Janjan Felicilda, and Reyland Torres.

“It’s gonna be aggressive. Lahat ng crew para sa akin, malakas. Lahat ng coaches, magaganda programa. So, kailangan each recreation pagpreparahan,” mentioned Monteverde. “Each recreation, dapat might gigil. Hindi kami pwedeng mawalan ng gigil kasi dapat yung starvation namin on getting again and attempt to obtain yung final objective namin, we want that starvation na hindi pwedeng mawala sa amin.”

READ: Fil-Am Jacob Bayla boosts UP title bid in UAAP Season 87

UP misplaced Malick Diouf and CJ On line casino after exhausting their taking part in years final season however UP will welcome newcomers Jacob Bayla, Quentin Millora-Brown, Dikachi Ududo, and transferee Gani Stevens.

“This previous few weeks, iyong preparation namin outdoors the nation malaking tulong siya. Yung pagkawala ng ibang gamers sina CJ, sina Malick might pumalit naman. Halos lahat naman parang kayang mag-step up sa crew,” Alarcon mentioned.

UP opens Season 87 towards rival Ateneo on Saturday at Good Araneta Coliseum after the opening ceremonies, highlighted by the Eraserheads’ reunion live performance.