by Waylon Galvez
Games Wednesday (Ynares Sports Center, Antipolo City)
4:30 p.m. – GlobalPort vs Blackwater
7 p.m. – NLEX vs Rain or Shine
One of the things Columbian Dyip coach Ricky Dandan did during the break following the Philippine Cup was to instill the winning attitude to his players and coaching staff.
So far, the ride is a lot smoother for Dyip who have won two of their first three matches.
“It’s mostly with the change in attitude of the whole team,” said Dandan after steering the team to a stunning 123-103 win over NLEX last Saturday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.
“It’s not just the players, but the coaches, too. Me… I can’t coach these players if I have the same attitude from last conference. We all want to change our fortunes for this conference.”
“So that’s what we did at the start of training for the Commissioner’s Cup,” added Dandan.
Dandan replaced Chris Gavina who stepped down after a 0-2 start in the Philippine Cup.
Sophomore guard Jeremy King, who Columbian picked up in the free agent market, shone with a career-best 30 points as the Dyip opened their campaign with a 126-98 demolition of Blackwater.
A 116-103 defeat at the hands of Meralco did not dampen the Dyip’s confidence as they roared back against the Road Warriors.
Reden Celda rose to the occasion with 26 points for Columbian which also drew 28 from 6-foot-10 import CJ Aiken who was 11-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-3 from three-point territory.
Aside from Aiken, King and Celda, Dyip are also getting good performances from Rashawn McCarthy, Eric Camson, Dan Sara, Jackson Corpuz, Carlo Lastimosa and Glenn Khobuntin.
Despite a promising start, Dandan is fully aware of the tough games ahead against elite teams like defending champion San Miguel Beer, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok and TNT KaTropa.
Dandan is hoping that the team’s new found confidence will carry them in good stead.
“Attitude is something people can’t take away. It’s something that only we have control. If we play with the right attitude, perhaps, good things will happen for us,” said Dandan.
