Printed September 10, 2025 2:46pm
Up to date September 10, 2025 2:46pm
San Sebastian Faculty-Recoletos has pressed the reset button anew, this time beneath new head coach Rob Labagala, because the Golden Stags embark on one more rebuilding section.
Labagala’s arrival marks San Sebastian’s fourth teaching change within the final 5 seasons. Egay Macaraya steered the Stags in Seasons 97 and 98 earlier than giving strategy to John Kallos in Season 99. Arvin Bonleon then took over final 12 months but in addition lasted only a single season on the helm.
The rookie tactician, nevertheless, preaches endurance because the Stags step by step embrace his system forward of their NCAA Season 101 marketing campaign, which kicks off on October 1 on the Sensible Araneta Coliseum.
“Getting higher, getting higher when it comes to how these guys have been capable of purchase in and embrace ‘yung ginagawa namin,” Labagala advised GMA Synergy in an interview.
“[With] their dedication, their effort, I can say na we’re getting higher, however malayo pa.”
Labagala may have at his disposal a mixture of seasoned gamers and contemporary expertise.
Veteran guard Paeng Are, who had initially deliberate to forego his ultimate 12 months to show skilled, continues to anchor the San Sebastian backcourt after rising because the league’s prime scorer final season with 18.19 factors per recreation. He additionally ranked ninth in offensive rebounds, averaging 2.13 per outing.
Labagala acknowledges Are’s worth however maintains that he’s pushing everybody equally laborious, together with his graduating chief.
“Figuring out Paeng, with the sacrifices they’d and the trouble na binigay nila dahil pwede na sana silang mag-pro however gusto talaga nilang mag-serve and bumalik sa San Sebastian,” Labagala, who as soon as performed for Ginebra, added.
“We actually admire them. However as a coach proper right here, every time we go right here sa court docket, I inform him talaga and even si TJ na I’ll be laborious on them as a result of the one means na makakatulong ako sa kanila is by being laborious on them.”
Tipped to offer the assistance are different holdovers in TJ Felebrico and Polo Gabat and a number of other promising rookies in Ian Cuajao, Jhuniel Dela Rama, and Jaime Gomez de Liaño.
—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA Built-in Information
