Newly minted champs Lions shift focus to academics

MANILA, Philippines – After waging a basketball war against Lyceum of the Philippines University and eventually winning it, San Beda sets its sight on a different battlefield — academics.

A day after the Lions swept the Pirates to repeat as NCAA champions, San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez said that he is now focused on checking on his players’ academic performance.

“My next order of battle is checking on the players on how they are doing on their studies because we’ve been focusing on basketball the last three weeks,” said Fernandez a day after steering the Lions to their ninth crown in the last 11 seasons and a league-best 21st overall.

For the players, exam week is set in the first week of December before taking a much-needed break following a grueling season.

Fernandez, a registered nurse, said academics, like basketball, should be the other “championship” his players should be striving for since life is not all about the sport.

“We all know that you can’t play basketball forever and I want my players to have a life in case they stop playing,” said Fernandez.

Fernandez, in fact, said there is a chance they might skip the PBA D-League this January because he wants his players to focus on their schooling.

“It’s a possibility because in the NCAA, you have to pass the second semester to get to play next season and if my players couldn’t pass it, they couldn’t play,” said Fernandez. “But it will depend on boss MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) if he wants us to play.”

If they will participate in the D-League, Fernandez wants a school-based team so that he could synchronize it with the Lions’ training and academic schedule.

He is concerned that some fellow NCAA schools like LPU, Jose Rizal, St. Benilde and Perpetual Help are also fielding in teams in the D-League.

“I’ve heard they’re playing and we don’t want to be left behind. Also, Bolick and (Javee) Mocon have developed a lot playing in the D-League,” he said.

San Beda is also scheduled to see action in the Champion’s League, a tournament of collegiate champions from all over the country which will make a return early next year.

“It will be a good tournament for us,” he said.