UE coach feels ‘lucky’ to have slew of guards stepping up

John Abate and the UE Red Warriors celebrate against the La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Lady Luck has been kind to University of the East coach Jack Santiago.

Santiago owed part of the Red Warriors’ surprisingly good start in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament to his revamped lineup which was lucky enough to land three promising guards.

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The addition of John Abate, Rainer Maga and Wello Lingolingo came just when UE needed to fill a gaping hole following the departure of its former star Rey Remogat.

SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 87 basketball

“We just needed to cover the spot left by Remogat but actually, these players who are with me right now, these guards… they’re here because I just got lucky,” Santiago, the former longtime La Salle assistant coach, told Inquirer Sports on Sunday following UE’s stunning 75-71 win over defending champion La Salle on Sunday.

“I never expected these guards to be available for me.”

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If there was any game where UE could show it could keep up with the best, it was the game against the Green Archers.

UE coach Jack Santiago.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

The guard-heavy lineup of UE gave La Salle all sorts of problems with Abate, Lingolingo and Maga taking turns in making big plays for the Red Warriors.

Abate finished with a team-high 20 points built on 3-of-3 from downtown while Lingolingo added 18 all on 3-pointers. Maga scored just seven points but had three crucial steals as he also played a key role in handing La Salle its first loss of the season.

READ: UAAP: UE delivers La Salle’s first loss in men’s basketball

“Maga just sat out for a year and I saw him playing outside and I saw his potential. Wello, he came from the province and I just got him there because I know he’s capable of winning big games,” Santiago recalled. “John came from UST. UST was the one who recruited him but for some reason I don’t know, he called me and said he’s willing to transfer. I saw his potential and I asked myself, ‘why not?’”

“My recruits just happened to be almost all guards but honestly speaking, they just luckily came to me and I’m just maximizing them.”

So far, Santiago has been able to make the most out of his small-ball roster with the Red Warriors currently at 2-2.