- Reil Cervantes (10.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists) (forgoing his fifth year to enter the PBA Draft)
- Paul Sanga (5.3 points, 28.57 3P%, 2.8 rebounds)
- Anjoe Latonio (demoted to Team B)
- Christian Manalo (demoted to Team B)
Win/Loss Records
- Season 73: 12-2 (1st, lost in the Finals to ADMU)
- Season 72: 11-3 (2nd, lost in the Final Four to UE)
- Season 71: 10-4 (3rd, lost in the Final Four to DLSU)
Key Stats
- First in field goals made per game (27.29) and in turnovers per game (13)
- First in starter points per game (45.0) and total points scored per game (73.24)
- Last in opponents' forced turnovers per game (12.94)
- Last in opponent's allowed free throw percentage (67.57 percent)
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| The Tams got tantalizingly close, but lost to the more experienced foe (Photo source) |
Season in a Snapshot
The FEU Tamaraws started the season like the highly-touted team many in the media made them out to be, streaking to a 7-0 start that had many pundits discussing the possibility of them sweeping their way into the Finals due to a high powered offense AND a stingy defense.
Come the second round though, the FEU mystery was solved, as Adamson and La Salle pinned loses on the Tams. Still, FEU showed poise in their Final Four overtime win against the Archers, so much that many had them winning overwhelmingly over the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the Finals. What followed was yet another massive letdown for fans of the yellow and green, as the Eagles blew them out in game one, and then stole game two thanks to Ryan Buenafe's heroics.
Team Needs
- Back-up small forward
- Back-up shooting guard
Outlook
FEU took the longest to find a head coach. After rumors linked them to both Joel Banal and former coach Koy Banal, management settled for the next best thing, Koy Banal's successor Bert Flores, who brings with him a defensive mindset to balance the emphasis towards offense that the last coach, Glen Capacio, put in. Like Adamson, this is it for this incarnation of the Tams, as Aldrech Ramos, Jens Knuttel, and JR Cawaling will all be graduating after this season, something the community was reminded of when Reil Cervantes decided to leave early. The Tams will definitely compete again, but a history of choking, combined with a lack of roster improvements, paints a depressing picture for Tams fans.
Projected Recruits
- Arvie Bringas, once one of the most sought-after recruits, has taken his talents to the Tams, to be with his brother, Mark. Coming out of high school, Arvie was supposed to be a big time post player and shot blocker, but he fell in love with the perimeter game in his tenure with DLSU. FEU will need the former, and not the latter.
- Cris Tolomia, spitfire point guard from FEU-FERN, Tolomia sat out last season as part of his commitments to the RP Youth U-18 squad. He duplicates a lot of what Terrence Romeo does, so most times he'll be the last point guard off the bench.
- Russell Escoto, like Tolomia, Escoto was part of the RP Youth U-18 squad, sitting out last UAAP season. 6'6" tall, he'll most likely concede minutes to the more experienced big men on the roster this season.
- Christian Sentcheu Sikam is the 6'11" cousin of Pipo Noundou. He's been adding muscle while under residency, but it's yet to be seen if he has proper post moves and the like.
- At one point the shoe-in school for NCAA Juniors MVP Gino Jumao-as, Jumao-as raised a lot of eyebrows when he opted to stay with San Sebastian, considering how he had supposedly made an appearance at the FEU team building outing just before summer league rosters were announced.
- At another point, FEU was also supposed to be expecting the transfer of Calvin Abueva, and maybe a few other Golden Stags. The problem? The entire Stags team had a stint in the PBL, causing eligibility issues, should they had gone through with the transfer.
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