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Captain on board

University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons team captain Mike Gamboa, or G, as he is fondly called by the team (so as not to be confused with Mike Silungan) and I met up at the Tea Room, a restaurant café run by the students of his home college, the College of Home Economics. Looking fresh despite coming from basketball training at 6 a.m. and a gruelling Math class right after, Mike sat down with me for a few minutes. After catching up with each other on the amount of school work we have piling up (we're both graduating) and teaching him a thing or two about mentioning someone on Twitter, I asked him about his diagnosis of their previous game and what changes we can expect from the Fighting Maroons this season, among others.

Many referred to the Maroons' loss to the De La Salle Green Archers as a heart breaker, but for the team captain, it was a testament to how much the Maroons have improved, both physically and mentally, since Season 74. The last few minutes, no doubt, tested the boys' composure and maturity, and, despite the loss, they left the spectators more than impressed and their coaches almost completely satisfied with the team's performance.

For the starting guard, one of the contributing factors to the increase in the team's level of swagger, confidence and efficiency is the addition of rookies Henry "Nxoi" (pronounced Ensoy) Asilum, Chris Ball, JR Gallarza and Raul Soyud and more-than-welcome-back comeback players Mark Lopez and Alvin Padilla, who brought the crowd to its feet with a shot from beyond the arc that pulled the Maroons to within one in the last two minutes of the game. Mike acknowledged that this year, they have a much deeper bench, and their second five will be just as strong as their first, with Lopez and Padilla adding to their shooting prowess in Silungan and Jett Manuel.

And staying true to the mindset that Coach Ricky Dandan instilled in them since taking over as Head Coach, the Maroons have completely rid their memory of their loss to the Archers, only remembering the lessons they took from the thriller of a game. Refusing to disclose specifics with regard to their preparations, Mike only said that they are definitely prepared for the UST Growling Tigers on Saturday. Who knows? An upset might just be the next big surprise the boys pull.

Rushing to get to class, I managed to get Mike to talk about one last thing before saying goodbye. Playing his last year this season, the Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management major is feeling mixed emotions knowing that after this season, his time with the University of the Philippines will end. Wanting nothing more than a Final Four appearance before closing out his collegiate career, expect Mike Gamboa and the rest of the Maroons to truly play each game with some fight.