UST's little-known rookie Basibas makes his mark
Who is this guy?
That pretty much summed up the reaction of UAAP observers after unheralded rookie Regie Boy Basibas stole the thunder on Wednesday when he helped University of Santo Tomas reassert its mastery over University of the Philippines, 77-65, to keep themselves in the hunt for a Final Four berth in the UAAP Season 77 men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.
With ace wingman Kevin Ferrer still out with a fractured left hand and combo guard Ed Daquioag sidelined by an ankle injury, UST coach Bong dela Cruz needed help and the 6-foot-4 Basibas rose to the occasion, banging in a surprising double-double performance of 16 points and 18 rebounds—both career-highs—off the bench while providing the timely lift in the Growling Tigers’ strong finishing kick.
“Ginawa ko lang po ‘yung pinagawa ni coach. Sabi niya mag-ready lang ako. May mga injured kaya kinausap ako. Kumpyansa lang,” Basibas, 20, told a handful of sports scribes after spending nearly an hour inside the team’s dugout, apparently soaking it all in together with his teammates and the coaching staff.
Basibas’ big exploits could not have come at a more opportune time for UST, which readily bounced back from a 55-66 loss to pace-setting Far Eastern U (8-2) last Saturday and improved its record to 5-5, tying host University of the East at the fifth spot while pulling two full games behind La Salle, Ateneo and National U, which sport identical 7-3 cards.
“It was good and it came very timely because Ed is injured and Kevin’s not there. It’s good he stepped up,” UST’s Karim Abdul, who finished with a team-high 21 points and 12 rebounds, said of Basibas’ performance. “We’re happy with Regie’s performance.”
Basibas’ first crack at prominence didn’t come on a silver platter as he was hardly used in the first round of eliminations and only had the chance to play “extended” minutes in their loss to the Tamaraws, coming up with just two points, as many rebounds and a steal against a lone error.
But that didn’t stop Basibas from striving to improve his craft. “Go hard lagi siya sa practice,” shared dela Cruz. “Lumabas ‘yung game niya ngayon.”
Basibas’s journey to UST was also an up-and-down one. After a shortened stint with Arellano U in high school, he decided to take his talents to Guagua, Pampanga where he joined local leagues, eager to sharpen his skills on both ends.
His efforts were amply rewarded when he joined UST’s tryouts and eventually impressed dela Cruz and the team’s coaching staff.
“Athletic si Basibas. ‘Yung basketball skills niya, mataas. Natututo pa siya this year sa UAAP,” noted dela Cruz.
A proud native of Carigara, Leyte, Basibas and his family faced adversity last year when his home province got the full brunt of Super Typhoon “Yolanda”, leaving their house battered. Fortunately for him, his family survived the wrath.
“'Yung bahay po namin nasira pero ‘yung family ko, okay naman,” Basibas shared. "Hindi naman kami masyadong naapektuhan dahil thirty minutes (away) kami sa Tacloban. Pero nasira po ‘yung bahay namin.”
With another tough outing against Ateneo on hand this Saturday, Basibas intends to prove his stunning performance is no fluke.
“Magpe-prepare po ako. Gagawin ko lang rin po talaga ‘yung pinapagawa ni coach,” he concluded.
