![La Salle coach Topex Robinson in the Filoil preseason Cup final. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/06/IMG_0514_Filoil-EcoOil-preseason-La-Salle-vs-Letran_Coach-Topex-Robinson-scaled.jpg)
FILE–La Salle coach Topex Robinson within the Filoil preseason Cup. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
MANILA, Philippines—La Salle coach Topex Robinson is aware of how a lot strain there’s on the Inexperienced Archers’ aspect after UAAP Season 86.
And he’s keen to embrace all that with hopes of seeing his wards do the precisely similar.
After escaping Adamson within the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup, 80-72, at San Juan Area on Wednesday, Robinson mentioned he’s conditioning his Inexperienced Archers to experience with the rising strain of being the league’s defending champions.
READ: Now the hunted, La Salle Inexperienced Archers being readied for struggle like no different
“The subsequent query is; how dedicated are you to feeling the strain that everyone will at all times play their greatest each time they’re taking part in? Like I advised them, whether or not you’re within the backside or on the prime, there’ll at all times be strain,” mentioned the highest coach.
“We at all times guarantee that this place proper now could be one thing we should always maintain on to pricey life with. We’ll preserve reaching as excessive as we will and we at all times attempt to problem ourselves as a result of there’s at all times going to be UP, Ateneo, UST, so on and so forth however we inform ourselves, we’ll preserve difficult ourselves.”
One of many beneficiaries of La Salle embracing the strain is Jonnel Policarpio.
Policarpio has proven nice leaps in improvement in the course of the offseason, which implies he may probably be given extra duties as a workforce chief regardless of simply being in his second yr with the squad.
READ: Kevin Quiambao stays with La Salle for an additional UAAP Season
Fortuitously for Robinson, Policarpio isn’t frowning on the thought.
“For me, I’m simply doing my work. All of us assist one another out so we will all stand up on the similar time,” mentioned the ahead in Filipino after dropping 22 factors on the Hovering Falcons.
It hasn’t been a straightforward cruise for the Inexperienced Archers within the preseason, although.
With the strain of replicating their Season 86 Finals mastery, La Salle fell to rival College of the Philippines, 89-77.
However for those who ask Robinson about it, he noticed positives within the defeat regardless of their stunning beatdown by the hands of the Combating Maroons.
“You lose, you be taught. You win, you be taught. That’s at all times going to be our workforce. We respect that UP gave us struggle and we had a variety of studying alternatives due to that.”
“They’re not our rivals, we don’t take a look at them as our enemies, we take a look at them as anyone who could make us higher.”