FINDING HIS NICHE

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Familiarity with the system really helps, and for some, it works to their advantage as the coach asks them to do specific jobs in crucial situations during the game.

That familiarity really helped Vic Manuel, as the sophomore, who has already been a part of four teams in his short career as a pro, has created his own niche in the Alaska rotation and has given the Aces a hardworking forward to lean on.

“Yung play namin sa triangle, nasakto lang ako kasi yun din yung ginagamit namin sa D-League kay coach Luigi (Trillo),” said The Muscle, as he recounted his days with Trillo in Cebuana Lhuillier in the PBA Developmental League. “Sanay lang ako sa takbo kaya nakakagalaw ako ng maayos.”

The 2011-2012 PBA D-League MVP has made a good account of himself in his two years in the PBA, and in his latest assignment, showed that he can stand toe-to-toe with bigger and tougher opponents.

Manuel had a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds as Alaska surged ahead in their best-of-five semifinal series against Rain or Shine with a 104-94 Game 3 victory in the 2014 PLDT Home Telpad PBA Governors’ Cup Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Trusted heavily by the coaching staff, the PSBA alumnus found himself in the starting lineup the past few games, and has also been in the crunch time squad for Alaska.

“Nung pinasok ako ni coach (Alex Compton) sa starting lineup, dun na nagsimula yung kumpyansa ko at naging maganda na yung takbo ng laro ko,” he said. “Nagugulat din ako. Sabi lang sa akin ni coach, yung hustle ko lang. Tapos pinagkakatiwalaan pa nya ako sa depensa.”

For a number of plays, Manuel was the one guarding the E-Painters’ import Arizona Reid, and he stood tall, making life difficult for the dread-locked reinforcement.

“Si AZ Reid, ang hirap depensahan. Nung binantayan ko sya nung second half, napagod agad ako. Halos five minutes pa lang, nagpapa-sub na ako,” said the 27-year-old, as he joked that the unenviable task of guarding Reid also put him in foul trouble early.

“Nagtitiwala sa akin si coach sa depensa ko kay AZ. Bonus na lang yung points na na-contribute ko sa team.”

With a chance to close out the series on Thursday, Manuel said that Compton reminded them that the key for next game is for the Aces to sustain the intensity they had in this game.

“Pinaalala lang ni coach na kung ano yung pinakita namin kanina, yun ang dapat naming dalhin sa Game 4,” said the 6-foot-5 forward.

Compton said, “Series is not over. We need one more.”

And Manuel hopes to get that one more win, as it would mark his first ever career Finals appearance.

“Gusto ko talagang makapasok sa Finals. Kahit sa D-League, di ako nakapag-Finals eh,” he said.

Manuel also hopes that his pro career, which has seen him having stops in GlobalPort, Meralco, and Air21, will end in Alaska, as he has gladly embraced the team’s identity.

“Ito na yung pinakamagandang team na napuntahan ko. Dito, family-oriented at nag-aalaga talaga ng player. Sana dito na lang ako. Masaya na ako dito sa Alaska.” (RL)

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