The UP Fighting Maroons forward has always patterned his game and approach after his father, a former PBA player.
Heading into UAAP Season 86, one of the more touted rookies for the UP Fighting Maroons was Lowell “Chicco” Briones, Jr., son and namesake of the former PBA player.
With a listed height of six-foot-six, a reputation as a knockdown shooter during his high school days in Las Vegas, and a year’s worth of college basketball experience at Carroll College in Montana, there were high expectations for Briones as soon as he committed to the Fighting Maroons in April 2022.
But the Fighting Maroons had a loaded roster when he came onboard last season after serving residency, and it was difficult for Briones to get minutes.
In his rookie season, Chicco saw action in 10 games, averaging 5.0 points per game in less than eight minutes’ average playing time. He shot an impressive 65% on 2-point shots and a modest 36% on 3-point shots.
It wasn’t the rookie season that he envisioned, but now Briones feels he can take it to the next level for Season 87.
“Well, I’ll be really honest,” he told The GAME in an exclusive interview during the ceremonial contract signing between Top Breed and Nowhere to Go But UP held Wednesday.
“I’ll be really honest. I was getting rookie minutes, so I was doing as much as I can to help the team with my minutes. You know, doing quality minutes on the court. And I think I can do more. And I felt like I could do more and help more to the team last year. But I’m looking forward to my second year.”
Briones did see an uptick in his playing time during UP’s unbeaten run in the FilOIl Preseason Cup last May, and he’s hoping that will translate into a similar situation in UAAP Season 87.
“Oh, I feel good,” he said. “Because Coach (Goldwin Monteverde) has given me the trust, and the trust was always there. It was just me performing on the court. And, of course, I’m grateful for anything that, you know, Coach Gold gives me on the court. And I just do as much as I can.”
As the team’s designated shooter, Chicco shared his training regimen, which includes taking hundreds of shots a day until he makes a certain number.
“Every day, I always shoot with either my dad or one of the ball boys if my dad isn’t there. So, before practice and after practice, I always have to shoot. And to keep my muscle memory on point. And, of course, in the outside shooting (drills), I have to make at least like 200, 250 shots per day.
“That’s kind of the project that me and my dad have been always doing.”
Like father, like son
Speaking of his dad, former pro Lowell Briones, Chicco calls him “the biggest influence of my life.”
Lowell Sr. was the fifth pick in the 1997 PBA draft, going to the Purefoods Corned Beef Cowboys, who eventually sent him to the Mobiline Phone Pals. He went on to play for four teams over a five-year PBA career, winning a championship with Batang Red Bull in 2001.
“I wouldn’t be able to play basketball if it wasn’t for him,” Chicco says of his dad. “All of my playing style, it comes from him. Anything that you see in the court, it’s my dad, basically. I am the second generation of his playing style.”
Chicco has watched clips of his dad playing for Red Bull and the MBA’s Pasig Pirates, but regrets not being able to find clips of him playing for Mobiline.
“He was doing good. And I was inspired in how he was playing. But he told me I should have seen the Mobiline ones. He was telling me that it was one of his best playing years.”
Like his son, Lowell, Sr. was known as a scorer during his playing days. But unlike his son, who thrives on outside shooting, Lowell, Sr. did most of his damage closer to the basket with his mid-range jumper.
It’s a move that Chicco has been trying to incorporate into his game.
“People have been telling me, my dad has a good mid-range shot,” he said. “And I think that’s where I got my mid-range shot and my outside shot. He wasn’t really well known with his outside shot, but he helped me develop with it.”
Chicco adds he wants to work on a couple more things in time for Season 87.
“You know, I’ve been trying to do more dribbling, create more for my teammates. But, yeah, it’s in the process. And that’s kind of one of the things that I got from my dad.
“On the defensive side, I want to improve my on-ball defense, of course. Since it was one of my weaknesses last season. Hopefully I can defend better this upcoming season.”
Of course, like the rest of his teammates, Chicco feels confident that the Fighting Maroons have what it takes to erase last season’s heartbreak and bring the crown back to Diliman.
“Our team right now is definitely a championship caliber team. It’s just our job to show it in our game and prove it that we can be a championship caliber team. But, as a team, we’re very talented, we’re disciplined.
“And we hopefully get the championship this year.”
Banner Image from UAAP Media Bureau.