By Jasmine W. Payo
Inquirer
TWO big men are amazingly shaking off the underachiever tag that had hung over them for several seasons in the UAAP men’s basketball competition.
Long consigned to the background, Ford Arao of the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles and Joseph Linga-Lingao of the National University Bulldogs came out of their shells over the weekend and took charge in their team’s first-day victories.
“He really wants to make a big impact this season,” NU coach Manny Dandan said after his starting center powered the Bulldogs to a 73-70 overtime victory against Far Eastern University in Saturday’s opener.
The next day, Arao scattered 10 of his 20 points in the extra period of the Eagles’ 69-63 come-from-behind triumph against the Adamson University Falcons.
“We lost our three main men (to graduation), so I plan to keep on playing hard,” the 6-foot-5 Arao said.
With their breakthrough performances, Arao and Lingao-Lingao shared the Player of the Week citation awarded by the UAAP Press Corps.
Lingao-Lingao, a wide-bodied 6-foot-5 Cebu native, unloaded 17 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and all of his team’s five blocks to put the former cellar-dwellers on top early with powerhouses La Salle, Ateneo and University of the East.
Arao, who normed 4.4 points last year, also exploded with a double-double effort of 20 points and 15 boards.
“I’ll give my best every game because this is my last playing year,” said Arao, a former San Beda Red Cub standout.
Other nominees for the weekly honor include NU leader Edwin Asoro (17 points and 16 rebounds), University of the East’s Mark Borboran (13 points, four boards, three assists) and De La Salle University’s Cholo Villanueva (19 points, six rebounds, four assists).
July 29th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Congratulations to the players of my Alma Mater NU and the coach, my namesake Manny.