Fil-Am cager Zavier Lucero, who has emerged as the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons’ best shooter and among the season’s top performers, said his teammates are making him look good.
Their assistance during screens, in defense and offense, is giving the 6’6” Lucero the needed break to help lift the Fighting Maroons to second place at the close of the first round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.
“I think coach (Goldwin Monteverde) says it all the time, I’m getting open looks more than some other guys, which is allowing me to be on the scoreboard. But as far as me personally, I don’t do much on my own, I get set up by my guys a lot when there’s a screen, got my guy off that screen in the last three I hit. Mai Mai (Cagulangan) is usually finding me in places. It’s just our team is really growing, and our chemistry is growing and you have seen our offense again,” said Lucero.
The 22-year-old Lucero talked about his game as the Maroons soared to a share of no. 2 position with the La Salle Green Archers with their 6-1 record.
The Maroons are experiencing their best season since their first-game loss to Ateneo, after UP won its next six to raise its record to 6-1 for solo second. FEU slipped to fifth with a 3-4 record.
In the seven games he played, Lucero emerged as among the top individual performers, becoming the no. 1 scorer with his average of 15.29 points and no. 6 in rebounds with 7.43.
Far Eastern U’s RJ Abarrientos is the league’s second best performer with his 14.86 points, with Adamson’s Jerom Lastimosa, University of the East’s Kris Pagsanjan and University of Santo Tomas’ Sherwin Concepcion next when it comes to scoring.
Among his teammates, Carl Tamayo (12 points, 7.14 rebounds), Ricci Rivero, CJ Cansino and Maodo Diouf are also doing good in helping Lucero shine.
The Maroons’ best players also include Rivero, who drew attention to himself on Saturday after publicly proposing to teen actress Andrea Brillantes to be his girlfriend after their game with FEU.
Rivero, a transferee from the La Salle Green Archers, is among the Maroons’ most fearsome all-around players with his averages of 11.86 points, 3.97 rebounds, 2.29 assists and 1.29 steals.
Cansino also shines with 10.14 ppg and 3.57 rebounds, and so does Diouf with 8.86 points and 7.43 rebounds.
The second round begins Tuesday, with UP playing against NU at 10 a.m., and the Fighting Maroons seeking to extend their winning run to seven.