(Part 2 of a series)

UAAP basketball is more exciting and colorful because of the players who battle it out on the hardcourt for the glory of their respective teams. These guys stood up to the challenge of representing their schools, devoting long hours to training, pushing their bodies to the limit, pouring their hearts out. Fullcourtfresh honors them through this as-told-to special, relaying their tales of triumph and defeat, passion and determination, and dreams and resilience. Here are the young guns, the imports, the veterans, the new blood, the heartthrobs, and the standouts that made this season extraordinary for the country’s premier collegiate basketball league. Presenting: THE UAAP CLASS OF 2011. Compiled by Ericka Alcantara, Kat Angco, and Vyn Radovan

The Non-freshie Rookies

Not college freshmen but on their first UAAP playing year, Greg Slaughter, Robby Wierzba, and Jelo Montecastro share their journey to the league, and what they’re out to give for their team.

____________________________________________________________________________

Greg Slaughter

I started in University of Visayas in Cebu because when I first moved out here all of my family’s in Cebu. After three seasons with UV, Smart Gilas approached me and said they were forming the team. For a while I was only going on the weekends just so I could train with them but that wasn’t enough so I had to come up to Manila.

After I arrived, I still hadn’t finished my degree and I thought Ateneo was the best place to do it. I wasn’t able to join the team until May when we went to Vegas because I was with Gilas and we were in the PBA conference.

I didn’t have that much time to really get into the system so the only thing I could do was look at my coaches and have them guide me and try and gel with the team as much as I could. And it’s really easy to gel with a team that’s already won three championships. Everyone on the team is really friendly. I haven’t had a problem with anyone. They’re all really nice and they’ve been together for a while and have won championships together. Coach Norman really disciplines players. He’s not too strict and he gets us all to do what we gotta do.

It’s been a good rookie season for me. I still have one more year of eligibility left so I will make the most of it. I obviously have size and I played with Gilas for three years and we’ve competed internationally so hopefully I could bring some of my experience to the team. All of our starters have been through this too. They know what it takes to win and they’ve been winning before they came to Ateneo in their high schools and all that.

Robby Wierzba

Difficult is the best word to describe the two years I waited before I can play in the UAAP; UP was struggling, and you know watching from the sidelines, that you can somehow help your team do better. But then again, it wasn’t so difficult because I loved my life off the court. My time here in the Philippines has helped me learn and grow so much, and the Filipinos are great people to be around.

More than anything, I chose UP because I heard that it was the top college to graduate from, so I know that when I finish my studies, I will have a bright future ahead of me. I also saw that the coaches at that time wanted me more than the other schools that I had tried out in. And knowing UP was the underdog team didn’t change my mind—I was raised with pride and knows never to quit. To prepare for my stint in the UAAP, I spent a lot of time in the gym, at training, putting in extra work, and in watching the games to learn the style of play.

How will I describe my rookie season? It was definitely a rollercoaster ride. I wish I could have done more for my team to help them win more games, but I still really enjoyed the season. Being able to join a family like that, even though we came in last, we were still a tight bunch, and have each other’s backs. I feel that I bring unselfishness to the team which I think is one of the most important characteristics for a winning team.

I can’t lie, I am disappointed with our W-L record, but I know we became a better team, and I know we will continue to get better and that we can contend for the Final Four next year. Although we had a losing record, we still have great supporters, and we are thankful. Now that the season is over, I’m really excited to spend more time with family and friends, but after a short break I know I will be hungry to get back on the court as soon as possible. Hungry to work harder and earn more minutes so I can help the team succeed.–

Jelo Montecastro

Finally playing for the Maroons this year was a homecoming of sorts for me. I was supposed to play for UP after high school, but I ended up in Benilde. Sometime last year, then head coach Aboy Castro asked me to be part of the team.

They told me that no other school in the country can give me the quality of education that UP offers—which I totally agree with; UP gives me the best possible education here in the Philippines. It puts such an importance on excellence that us athletes are never given special treatment, we have to put in as much effort as the other students, if not more.

Just like any other transferee, I had to sit out a year because of the residency rule. I had mixed emotions; I was excited to play already, but at the same time, I also wanted to relish the residency because it gave time to prepare. There were only a few times when I would feel impatient, because I also practiced with the UAAP roster, so things were pretty much the same. Besides, our team is unique. There’s no leader, no seniors. We’re super bonded; we watch movies together, and we can spend hours and hours making fun of each other. All of us are kwela. Although I’m already  on my third year of playing college ball, I was still very excited going into the season because I know the UAAP’s really different.

This year is really a learning experience for us—we’re out to improve next year. Now we know how to win games—we’ve been there, having the upperhand then ending up losing—we’ll use this as a teacher. You know, everyone in this league is working hard, so we have to work extra, extra hard. Everyone wants to win, so the effort should not just be double; it has to be triple, or even quadruple. My stay in the UAAP to date has been a rollercoaster ride. Sometimes you feel you’re on top but you go down, sometimes you’re down but you manage to go up.