Big Challenge For Coach Boyet

With a PBA title and four PBA D-League championships under his belt, San Beda College coach Boyet Fernandez is now aiming for an NCAA crown in his first season with the Red Lions varsity. It’s a huge challenge for the 2007-08 PBA Coach of the Year because the competition is stiff but Fernandez said the mission is doable. A gauge of how ready the Lions are to win with Fernandez will come in the Letran game at the Mall of Asia Arena this Saturday.

“I joined a winning program so there’s pressure on me to continue the streak,” said the 42-year-old Fernandez. “We’ve won three titles in a row so we’re shooting for a four-peat.  When I was asked to take over San Beda, Sir MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) told me it wouldn’t be possible to be with three teams. Practice with N-Lex is from 2 to 4 in the afternoon but practices with San Beda and Meralco are both in the morning. Management decided for me to focus on San Beda. I’m really excited to be a part of the San Beda program. The college spirit is so inspiring. The support from the entire Bedan community is solid. Alumni, faculty, students and administration are very passionate in backing up the Lions.”

Although he’s not from San Beda, Fernandez said he’s now red all over. “I brought in my long-time assistant Adonis (Tierra) because we work well together even if he’s also not from San Beda but I made it a point to surround ourselves with staff from San Beda, Ford Arao, J. B. Sison, Jay Serrano, Cholo Martin and Benjie Paras,” he said. “I told coach Jude (Roque) it’s almost like we’re all from San Beda.”

A college title is missing in Fernandez’ collection. In 2010, he coached UP to a 0-12 record in the UAAP. Now, it’s time for redemption. “I didn’t apply for the position at UP,” said Fernandez. “Coach Aboy (Castro) brought me in as a consultant then he suddenly resigned and I was asked to take his place two games into the season. I didn’t really know the players but they asked if I could help the team out. I told the officials I would do my best but for them to look for a replacement at the end of the year.”

Shaky Start 

San Beda got off to a shaky start this campaign, opening with a 71-70 decision over St. Benilde last June 22. Two days later, the Lions were ambushed by Lyceum, 70-66. Then, San Beda rattled off six straight wins by an average winning margin of 17.2, capped by an 83-64 demolition of San Sebastian last Aug. 12.

“We thought we could take care of Lyceum easily, judging from how they played in the FilOil Cup where we finished third,” said Fernandez. “I warned the guys not to take Lyceum lightly, that it’s a different team now. We played Lyceum almost back-to-back after a hard game against St. Benilde. But no excuses. It was a lesson for us, good it came early. We made adjustments in our rotation. Now, (Ryusei) Koga comes off the bench. Ola (Adeogun) starts at center with Kyle (Pascual) his reliever. I think the changes made us tougher with our second unit providing continuity.”

Fernandez said he has the pieces of a championship-caliber team. “Rome de la Rosa is our No. 1 defender, we put him on the other team’s top scorer,” he said. “Rome is also a scorer. Baser (Amer) plays a dual role. When we need a stabilizer, Baser plays point guard. If we need him to score, he moves to two. Arthur (de la Cruz) is another key contributor. We also have the Semerad brothers. Anthony is more of a perimeter player, he’s a good defender like his brother David who’s more of a post player. Ola, Kyle and Ryusei are vital for us. We’re on a six-game win streak but I’m always reminding our guys that things will be different in the second round. Teams will be better prepared to play us. We beat Perpetual by seven but they weren’t complete. Letran won seven in a row and (Raymund) Almazan is putting up MVP-like numbers. Mark Cruz and Kevin Racal are both scorers so we’ve got to limit their production. Almazan gets a lot of points from put-backs so we need to control his offensive rebounding. Ola and Kyle will rotate to defend Almazan.”

Versus Letran

Fernandez said Saturday’s game against Letran will be a tell-all show. “Obviously, we want to end the eliminations either No. 1 or No. 2 so we get a twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs,” he said. “If we beat Letran, we’ll be in solo first. It’s a big test for us because we know how good they are. They play good defense and we play good defense, too. They play physical and tough but not rough. We’re aware of where their points come from. Rey (Nambatac) and Mark are big scorers in the backcourt so we’ll make sure they’re watched closely. It’s a long season and in the second round, it’ll be a different ball game as I expect other teams to adjust and improve. We’ve got to be ready to play hard every game.”

What makes Fernandez stand out as a coach is his ability to inspire his players. For 12 years, he was a crack point guard in the PBA with Sta. Lucia, Alaska, Pop Cola and Purefoods. And he played on several national teams. Fernandez is known for his high basketball IQ, something that he now shares with N-Lex and San Beda. Aside from that, he’s a regular guy, very hands-on. Fernandez spends a lot of time at the Mendiola campus, even monitoring the progress of San Beda’s Team B closely in the Fr. Martin’s Cup. He may not be a Beda alumnus but now thinks and acts like a red-blooded Lion. For Fernandez, it would be an honor to bring a fourth straight NCAA title to Mendiola.

source: Joaquin Henson, Philstar