UNIVERSITY of the Philippines coach Bo Perasol is elated that Javi Gomez de Liaño will stay put in Diliman for a final run in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
The 22-year-old swingman is currently linked with the Philippine team preparing for the third and final window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers at the INSPIRE Sports Academy training bubble.
“Javi’s commitment to play out his senior year with us, is not just good for our program but to the whole community, as well,” said Perasol in a message to People’s Tonight yesterday.
“There’s no doubt that after his stint with the Gilas National Team, his contributions will be very valuable to our quest to finally win the crown,” he added.
With some unfinished business for the Fighting Maroons, Gomez de Liaño said over the weekend that he will not throw his name into the 2021 PBA Rookie Draft.
“It was honestly a hard decision because I was really thinking about it,” said Gomez de Liaño in an interview with Tiebreaker Times.
“There are no certainties if the UAAP will resume this June but one thing for sure – the PBA will still be there,” he added.
“So it’s a very big risk I have to take, especially now that I am with Gilas. I do not know where I will be in the future, but for this year, I want to lead UP to a championship in my last playing year. I really appreciate the university itself – it’s my home.”
The once-moribund Maroons achieved podium finish in the last two seasons. UP placed second behind Ateneo in 2018 before settling for third place the following year.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UAAP Season 83 was scrapped.
