The 2014 UST Growling Tigers men's basketball team represented University of Santo Tomas in the 77th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The men's basketball tournament for the school year 2014-15 began on July 12, 2014, and the host school for the season was University of the East.
UST finished sixth at the end of the double round-robin eliminations with five games against nine losses. They had an average losing margin of 9.2 points and an average winning margin of 6.6 points per game.
The Tigers failed to qualify to the Final Four for the first time since Season 73 and after being in back-to-back Finals appearances the past two years.
Cameroonian center Karim Abdul made it to the Mythical team selection for the third straight year.
Roster
Depth chart
Roster changes Subtractions PG 8 Robin Allan Tan 5' 7" 4th Xavier School Relegated to Team BSG 9 Clark Daniel Oliver Bautista 5' 9" 5th Benedictine International School GraduatedPG 11 Edcor Marata 5' 10" 3rd University of the Visayas Transferred to Lyceum of the Philippines UniversitySF 14 Brian James So 6' 2" 2nd Colegio de San Juan de Letran Out on injuryC 15 Roberto Hainga 6' 7" 4th Iloilo Central Commercial High School GraduatedSG 16 Jeric Allen Teng 6' 2" 5th Xavier School Graduated
Additions PG 9 Levi dela Cruz, II 5' 7" 1st Nazareth School of National University Promoted from Team BSF 11 Regie Boy Basibas 6' 3" 1st Arellano University High School Promoted from Team BPF 14 Raymart Angelo Sablan 6' 4" 1st UP Integrated School RookieSF 16 Alfren Gayosa 6' 2" 1st San Sebastian College-Recoletos RookiePG 17 Henri Lorenzo Subido 5' 9" 1st De La Salle Santiago Zobel School RookieSF 18 Louie Philippe Vigil 6' 3" 3rd José Rizal University Returning from Season 75
Recruiting class Levi dela Cruz PG 5' 7" Nazareth School of National University Davao City Apr 20142013 National Basketball Training Center Top 30 playerAlfren Gayosa SF 6' 2" San Sebastian College-Recoletos Manila 17 Apr 20142014 National Basketball Training Center Top 30 playerRenzo Subido PG 5' 9" De La Salle Santiago Zobel School Mandaluyong 2 Jun 20142014 National Basketball Training Center Top 30 player
Coaching changes Bong dela Cruz replaced Pido Jarencio as the head coach of the Growling Tigers senior men's basketball team on March 27, 2014. The coaching change was announced by Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) secretary and UAAP board representative Ms. Gilda Kamus following Jarencio's resignation in January.
Jarencio, the Growling Tigers coach for eight years who led the team to the UAAP title in his rookie year in 2006, signed a two-year contract as head coach of GlobalPort in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Dela Cruz was a point guard of the Glowing Goldies in 1988 before he transferred to the Adamson Falcons to join former high school teammates Giovanni Pineda, Gerardo Hipolito, Manuel Cucio, Marlou Aquino, and Christopher de Leon. Together with EJ Feihl, the Golden Nuggets juniors team was once regarded as the tallest basketball team in the country.
After his college playing days, he became a coach in the Philippine Basketball League, the National Basketball Conference, and Liga Pilipinas. He was hired as an assistant coach of the Growling Tigers beginning in Season 75. Aside from UST, he was also an assistant coach for the Enderun Titans under former FEU Tamaraws player Pipo Noundou.
Injuries Fourth year forward Kevin Ferrer's season was cut short after only eight games after fracturing his left hand during practice prior to their second-round match against the FEU Tamaraws.
Karim Abdul missed their game against the UE Red Warriors in the first round after being confined in the hospital from dehydration due to a viral infection.
Schedule and results Preseason tournament
UAAP games
Elimination games were played in a double round-robin format and all of UST's games were televised on ABS-CBN Sports and Action.
UAAP statistics Karim Abdul 13 12 30.0 61 139 43.9 0 5 0.0 65 90 72.2 9.2 1.5 1.2 1.7 3.8 14.4 Aljon Mariano 14 9 26.7 57 167 34.1 13 42 31.0 27 40 67.5 5.5 1.4 0.5 0.2 2.7 11.0 Louie Vigil 13 10 26.5 49 133 36.8 13 60 21.7 25 44 56.8 4.2 2.1 0.4 0.5 2.4 10.5 Kevin Ferrer 8 6 28.2 22 91 24.2 8 46 17.4 25 31 80.6 5.3 1.4 1.0 0.3 2.6 9.6 Ed Daquioag 12 7 22.5 32 91 35.2 8 38 21.1 14 19 73.7 2.6 1.5 1.3 0.4 2.4 7.2 Jon Sheriff 14 13 24.7 27 62 43.5 0 2 0.0 4 8 50.0 4.1 2.5 1.6 0.0 2.4 4.1 Kent Lao 13 10 14.0 17 41 41.5 6 22 27.3 6 12 50.0 2.0 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.5 3.5 Renzo Subido 14 0 16.5 15 52 28.8 9 34 26.5 8 11 72.7 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 0.9 3.4 Regie Boy Basibas 10 0 8.8 8 18 44.4 1 2 50.0 6 13 46.2 2.9 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.8 2.3 Jeepy Faundo 4 0 6.8 1 5 20.0 0 0 0.0 5 6 83.3 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 1.8 Paolo Pe 14 2 9.0 9 23 39.1 0 0 0.0 2 8 25.0 1.6 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2 1.4 Kim Lo 14 1 8.8 8 31 25.8 0 9 0.0 4 10 40.0 1.7 0.9 0.1 0.0 0.6 1.4 Alfren Gayosa 10 0 4.9 3 10 30.0 1 5 20.0 5 11 45.5 1.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.6 1.2 Joco Macasaet 5 0 1.4 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Levi dela Cruz 4 0 2.8 0 2 0.0 0 2 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 Gelo Sablan 2 0 2.0 0 1 0.0 0 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Total 14 40.0 309 866 35.7 59 268 22.0 196 303 64.7 39.2 12.0 6.1 3.4 18.1 62.4 Opponents 14 40.0 329 830 39.6 66 262 25.2 205 309 66.3 41.1 13.1 4.1 1.7 19.8 66.4
Source: HumbleBola
Awards Team Fr. Martin Cup runners-up8 Jun 2014Karim Abdul Mythical team8 Oct 2014 KFC Double-Double Delivery award
Players drafted into the PBA Aljon Mariano was picked 16th overall in the second round of the 2015 PBA draft by the Tim Cone-led Barangay Ginebra San Miguel team on August 23, 2015. 2015 2 4 16 Aljon Mariano Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
References