PREPARATION IS KEY TO BARAKO BULL’S AMAZING START
Did anyone really expect Barako Bull to be where it is right now?
Even to the Energy themselves, their 3-0 start is a welcome surprise they never anticipated at the start of the conference. Now here they are, alongside Meralco and Purefoods on top of the 12-team heap two weeks into the Commissioner’s Cup elims.
Barako Bull coach Koy Banal just asked his wards to come together and hang on for a third straight victory against a feisty Kia squad.
“The goal was to make it three in a row. It has been a long time since the franchise won three consecutive games and everybody agreed about it. We want to make it our goal coming into this game,” Banal said.
Forty-eight minutes of basketball after and Barako Bull once again emerged victorious, sending back the Carnival down to earth with a 95-82 victory.
For Banal, the surprising start should be credited to the team’s preparation for the second conference.
“We started the right way. We had the luxury of establishing ourselves on both ends. Malaking bagay ‘yun to a coach eh,” the grizzled bench tactician said.
Banal took over from head coach Siot Tangquingcen four days before the season started and stumbled right off the gates, losing his first six games. Now, he said that the team is in a much better condition to compete with the big dogs of the PBA.
“We just tell them to go hard and give their best effort when they come in. I think in our team, nakukuha na nila yung gusto ng coaching staff offensively and defensively,” said Banal.
Though they are currently enjoying their hot start, Banal admitted that they are also addressing doubters in the process.
“We live one day at a time. Ang reminder ko to them is to just focus on the present. We cannot worry about the past, we cannot worry about the future. Everyday come practice, we just work hard. We don’t care if we’re being tagged as a rag-tag team. What’s important is the effort in the way we play day-in and day-out, whether if it is in practice or in games. Yun ang importante sa amin,” he said.
Barako Bull’s 3-0 start is its best since the 2007 Fiesta Conference, when coach Bo Perasol anchored the then-Air21 Express to a 4-0 start behind the efforts of Arwind Santos and import Shawn Daniels. The Energy would love to duplicate that feat on Friday against Talk ‘N Text.
“It’s going to be an acid test for us,” Banal said. “That’s all I’m asking players: make it close. We suffered a couple of blowouts before and I’m hoping na this time around, we’ll be a little closer and hopefully, get the win in the end.” (RL)
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