PBA great Sean Chambers looks to apply the lessons he learned as he enters his second season as head coach of FEU in the UAAP.
Head coach Sean Chambers guns to steer Far Eastern University to an even deeper run as he enters his second year of calling the shots in Morayta in the upcoming UAAP Season 88.
With hard-learned lessons in tow, Chambers said that they are almost where they want to be with less than two weeks to go before opening day.
“I feel we’re about 80 percent where I want them to be, but we’re getting there,” Chambers told One Sports during the recent UAAP Season 88 Content Day in Mandaluyong.
“My system’s in place. My offensive [system], my defensive [system].”
[RELATED STORY: FEU’s Sean Chambers on coaching philosophy: empowering over commanding]
Despite going through the unexpected exit of star player Veejay Pre during the offseason, the Tamaraws are adamant that they still have the pieces to be a more competitive squad, after taking their time to hit their stride last year.
Sean Chambers look to push Far Eastern U further in UAAP Season 87. | Photo (c) RM Chua/One Sports
Lesson learned
Under Chambers’ watch, FEU took its time before emerging as a legitimate threat for a Final Four spot in the second round last season.
At the end of eliminations, the Tamaraws had fallen just a few games short of the semifinals, settling for sixth place with their 5-9 slate.
But things were on the uptick for them at the end of the tournament.
Thus, Chambers expects a better version of FEU this time around, even without Pre on the floor.
“Of course, we're going to have errors where we need improvement, but we're getting there. We had a lot of young mistakes last year,” Chambers said.
“We had a lot of rookie mistakes, even as a coach, [I had] a lot of rookie mistakes, but we're expecting those not to be an issue this year,” he added.
No more slow starts
Eager not to let the opportunity pass them by again, Chambers said that FEU will be looking to hit the ground running.
After close calls in his wards' first three matches in Season 87, Chambers wants them to get results immediately.
“I felt last year, we were leading in our first three games. We were winning those games, and we hit a wall, and I felt like we weren't in the great basketball condition that we needed to be. So that's the first thing we're correcting right now,” Chambers said.
“We're going to be at the best shape we can possibly be for that first game. So that's not an issue. No excuses,” he added.
FEU will be facing stiff competition, though, as it goes up against the equally hungry Ateneo team that ended up languishing at the bottom of the cellar last season.
The Tamaraws and the Blue Eagles open hostilities in the seniors division Saturday, Sept. 20, at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Match kicks off at 2:00 p.m.
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Luisa Morales is a sportswriter with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team and mixed martial arts.