Versatile is a common word use in basketball to describe if a player is capable enough to play different roles depending on game situations. In the case of the FEU Tamaraws only a handful of players fit this bill but the name that easily comes to mind is RJ Rizada when talking about the last few years. Rizada always played under the shadows of the stars of his time as a Tam but always brought the intangibles to help his team win. Now we take a look at the players I believe are the most versatile and can easily create matchup problems for opposing teams if they want to.

Benedict Fernandez

Ben is probably the player in the current roster that reminds most of RJ Rizada given his ability to easily shift from being a scorer to a playmaker. A “combo-guard” (but more of a shooting guard), Ben was exposed to clutch-play early in his UAAP career, as he has been a solid part of the rotation since his rookie year in 2005, when FEU last won the MBB championship. Getting this type of experience enabled Ben to win the trust of his coaches. In fact, Fernandez usually gets tapped to handle ball-handling duties when the point guards run into trouble or start playing like headless chickens.

More than being a steady player, Ben will play a more crucial role of being the “kuya” of this bunch. When FEU won in 2003, Gerard Jones was the emotional and vocal leader, while in 2005 Mark Isip was the one (Arwind Santos led more by example). Ben needs to be on a higher mental level this season, as most of his teammates are still relatively young.

Marlon Adolfo

Marlon has made me scratch my head more times I can imagine. The problem I have with Marlon is he is somewhat unsure on what should be his role be on the team. Should he be a forward, a guard, a scorer or a defender? Adolfo led a lot of people to thinking that he could become the most improved player last season as he averaged around 18 points in the first two games of FEU last year but reverted to playing like a struggling sophomore afterwards.

The script should’ve been Marlon being among the offensive leaders of the team along with Mac Baracael and JR Cawaling, but it never materialized. There were numerous times that Adolfo was benched in late-game stretches with Coach Glenn Capacio opting to use less-experienced players. However, this only shows that whatever Adolfo does in games will always be magnified given that so much was and is expected of him. More so this year when his UAAP career ends. Marlon has one more season to carve out his legacy in FEU, whether it be as a reliable hand or just another “cute” face who wore the green and gold.

JR Cawaling

I can already hear the screaming girls upon typing JR’s name. JR was already a star before he made his first shot in the UAAP last year given the startling previews gave by different coaches who saw him play in pre-season games. A lot of people believe that FEU-FERN could have copped the UAAP Juniors title in 2006 if JR was included in the lineup. For whatever reason behind JR’s non-inclusion in the Baby Tams, that may seem immaterial given that the best player from that batch is playing for the seniors team.

I did say that Andy Barroca is the most talented in the team now, but JR has the potential to become a great college and professional player. “Ricardo” like the other rookies from last year, is noticeably bigger due to weight training. However, his game dips when he is guarded physically and he should expect more of the same treatment this year, as he is not exactly an unknown commodity. If JR realizes that he is on a higher talent level compared to other players, I don’t see any reason why he wont reach superstar status and win a title in his second year.

(All photos by the author)

 

June 23rd, 2008 by ian.evasco Born in the old FEU Hospital Son of two FEU graduates Former EIC of The FEU Advocate ABMC Batch 2002 FEU-IAS Naks...Tamaraw na Tamaraw Talaga