UAAP: Racela pleased to see Adamson's Yerro 'settling down' after jittery start

MANILA — Joshua Yerro earned praise from his coach after he delivered one of his better games in the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament.

The 6-foot-2 wingman scored 17 points alongside four assists and three rebounds, but it was his four conversions in six tries from beyond the arc that helped the Soaring Falcons get their fifth win in five games.

• UAAP: Yerro, Hanapi catch fire as Adamson boosts Final 4 hopes

For head coach Nash Racela, however, what worked for Yerro was him finally playing with improved composure.

“You want an honest assessment? I think he’s [finally] settling down. Yun nga, sabi niya he needs consistency kasi the first two years that we coached him, medyo jittery [siya] when he plays,” said Racela following their win against the UST Growling Tigers on Saturday.

“Sometimes, he’s too fast for his own good, sometimes he goes hard a little bit too much, pero sabi ko nga once he tones it down a little bit, magiging okay siya. I think this year, he’s learning that. Hindi lang the whole game, because sabi ko nga sa kaniya even the last game, he was okay.”

Still, Racela wants Yerro to play with more consistency as they play their final four games of the season.

“He was so composed in the first half, pero in the second half, he was back to his old self. He needs to be consistent.”

If Yerro continues to do so, he will have the opportunity to mirror the success of another former UAAP sniper from Cebu, Far Eastern University’s Roger Pogoy.

“I’m not comparing him to Roger. I’m just saying. Ito lagi kong sinasabi sa kaniya. Like we had before sa FEU, like Roger Pogoy, was like him. Ganiyan din sila Roger. Si Roger actually settled down in his last year in FEU,” said the former Tamaraws mentor.

“Yang mga galing kasi sa South, sa Cebu, ganyan talaga ang tendency nila, but we know their capabilities.”

“May gift yang mga ‘yan, he just needs to tone down a little bit. He’ll get there. [Pero] the sooner the better.”

Yerro, on his part, is aware of what he must contribute to his squad for them to get in a better spot to secure a semifinals spot.

“Iba-iba naman kaming tao, may [style] ‘rin siya sa sarili niya, ako rin meron. Pero kailangan ko lang mag-step up sa team lalong lalo na senior na ako sa team,” said Yerro.

“Yun nga, sabi ni coach palagi sa akin na dapat maging composed ka lang [and] maging stable sa loob ng court palagi.”

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