Add former UE stalwarts James Yap, Paul Artadi, and Ronald Tubid to the long list of believers for this group of Red Warriors.
As the UE Red Warriors hope to snap a 17-year Final Four drought, it will have the support of some of the school’s finest products in none other than the iconic James Yap, Paul Artadi, and Ronald Tubid.
The trio was part of the UE crowd who witnessed the Red Warriors’ much-anticipated rematch against the La Salle Green Archers over the weekend. While UE lost 68-77, this team’s massive potential was evident in the trio’s eyes.
Yap, an all-time great scorer, lauded the Warriors’ shooting and ball movement. As of writing, UE is top two in three-point shooting with a 54 out of 172 clip (31.4 percent) and only trails the Green Archers.
Wello Lingolingo is also second in three-point shots made after eight games with 16, while Ethan Galang sits at fifth with 11. Other Red Warriors such as Rain Maga, Gjerard Wilson, and Devin Fikes have proven to be reliable shooters for the team.
“Ang ganda ng ikot ng bola, magagaling ‘yung players at ang lalaki. Halos lahat shooter. Nakaka-shoot sa three points kaya pala naging five-game winning streak,” Yap told The GAME in an exclusive interview.
“Kasi first time ko napanood ‘yung live talaga…Mga highlights lang ‘yung napapanood ko so talagang nakaka-amaze ‘yung performance ng UE.”
Artadi and Tubid both recognized the heart and grit these players possess, which reminded them of their time in Recto. But on top of this are deeper factors that contribute to this group’s rapid growth.
For Artadi, it’s the lack of a designated star in this team. To recall, UE lost Rey Remogat in the offseason to UP, which resulted in a balanced attack this season. Sure, Lingolingo and Precious Momowei often lead the offense, but just about everyone can contribute as seen in the first round.
“Yan ang importante sa team, walang star player. Lahat sila nagwo-work for isang team, isang team, ‘yun lang ‘yun eh,” he told The GAME in a separate interview.
Tubid attributes this growth to the level of competition in the UAAP.
“Halos lahat ng teams kasi malalakas, so it’s a matter of execution lang siguro for me. ‘Yun, kailangan ganitong stage lagi para mag-improve eh. So you go against malakas na team, mag-grow ‘yung team, so that’s what happened to UE. ‘Di ba there’s UP, La Salle, Ateneo. That’s why tumaas siguro ‘yung laro nila. For me siguro, ‘yun lang, ma-sustain lang lahat ‘yung mindset nila,” he told The GAME.
Shades of the past
The trio of James Yap, Paul Artadi, and Ronald Tubid played for UE in the early 2000s under head coach Boysie Zamar in Recto and brought the Red Warriors into the Final Four against powerhouses such as Ateneo, La Salle, and FEU.
And as part of the sizable UE crowd in Araneta, they couldn’t help but reminisce on their playing days for the Red Warriors. After all, nothing beats seeing the loud and passionate Red Sea with their iconic “Pamantasan ng Silangan”, or “Bomba UE” chants throughout the contest.
“Syempre nakaka-miss ganitong crowd, nakaka-miss ng ganitong laro...Kami sa lahat ng mga UAAP players, I’m sure, ito yung mga na-miss namin na moment. Ang dami tao, kasi talagang walang gusto magpatalo dahil meron kang pinoprotektahan na schools. So, nakaka-miss lang ganitong moment,” Yap said.
Artadi had similar thoughts with his former backcourt partner, while also considering this current batch of players. “Very, very happy. ‘Yun nga very nostalgic ‘di ba ‘yung effect? Excited ako para sa mga bata dahil ang UE, never nag-fail ‘yan sa suporta. Kaya proud ako sa UE Red Warriors.”
They also cited some similarities between generations. For instance, Yap cited their point guard rotation, which includes rookie Nico Mulingtapang and Rain Maga, and combo guards Gjerard Wilson and John Abate.
For his part, Artadi adds: “Ako, ‘yung pesky defense. ‘Yung Maga ‘di ba? So nakikita namin parang kami dati ‘yun eh.”
Artadi and Tubid also praised Ethan Galang, whose range reminded them of Yap in his younger days. As Artadi puts it, “May parang James Yap doon, ang layo tumira!”
“Nakita ko, sinasabi nila na ma-James Yap daw eh…si Galang. Actually ang ganda ng kamay, ganda ng follow through ng tira niya. Ganda, ‘yun nga sabi ni Ronald sa’kin,” Yap added later on.
The UE Red Warriors currently sit at solo third with a 5-3 record and will face the loaded UP Fighting Maroons next followed by the NU Bulldogs and Adamson Soaring Falcons to close out October. Come November, UE will be facing the young FEU Tamaraws, Ateneo Blue Eagles, and current fourth seed UST.
As early as now, UE’s alumni are confident in their Final Four chances, which is why they came out to support in the first place. Tubid pointed out the Warriors’ depth, along with having a legitimate center in foreign student athlete Momowei.
“Halos lahat [magaling] kaya ‘yun ‘yung mahihirapan ‘yung coach, ‘yung rotation kasi lahat pwede ipasok, lahat pwede i-sub ‘yung player, lahat first five. Kaya ‘pag magaling na coach like Coach Jack [Santiago], kaya naman ‘yun,” he said.
Yap, meanwhile, offered some veteran wisdom: “Sana, ang masasabi ko lang, huwag maging overconfident at ipasok siya sa utak nila na every game is important.”
With the Final Four well within reach, it’s now up to this group to stay composed and humble as they adjust to life as the hunted in Season 87’s final round of eliminations.
Banner image courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.