Teng confirms applying for PBA draft

MANILA, Philippines -  Two-time UAAP Finals MVP Jeron Teng said the other day he’ll join the PBA draft late this year and the uncertainty of not knowing the team to play for isn’t really causing sleepless nights.

“First of all, we don’t know who are coming out,” said the 23-year-old Teng, a two-term Dean’s Lister who expects to earn his Business Management degree at La Salle in October. “Kiefer (Ravena) and Ray Ray (Parks) might decide to join. I’m sure there will be Fil-Ams in the draft, too. I can’t speculate when my name will be called. It would depend on who’s available and the team that’s picking.”

Teng said his focus is what he can control, not what he can’t. “I’m determined to be competitive,” he said. “I learned from my dad (Alvin) that hard work always pays off. That’s what I can do – work hard every day at practice, work hard in every game. Right now, I’m working on extending my range. I do two hours of shooting with coach RenRen (Ritualo) starting at 6 a.m. in the Xavier Gym, five days a week from Monday to Friday and try to make at least 300 three-pointers every session. Once the season begins, I want to add something different, something new in every game so I’m not predictable. My entire focus is to improve as a player and as a person every day.”

Teng made his PBA D-League debut with AMA in the recent Aspirants Cup where he averaged 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists. In his first game, Teng erupted for 42 points. “I had no idea what to expect because I was a D-League rookie,” he said. “I just did what the coach wanted me to do. The D-League is the closest to playing in the PBA so I really set out to do my best. I played one or two with AMA but mainly two.”

In the PBA D-League Foundation Cup starting May 25, Teng will suit up for the Filoil Flying V Thunder under coach Eric Altamirano. “I think it’s perfect timing to play for coach Eric before the PBA draft,” he said. “I know I’ll improve a lot with coach Eric. I was on the U16 and U18 teams with coach Eric so we go back a long way. Flying V is close to my heart because of (team owner) Sir Raffy (Villavicencio) and its La Salle roots. I’m excited to play with my former La Salle teammates Thomas Torres, Joshua Webb and Jovet Mendoza and my new teammates like Eric Salamat, Gab Banal, Mike Gamboa, J. R. Ongteco and Luis Sinco.”

Teng said the option of playing in the US never crossed his mind. “I’m realistic,” he said. “Of course, it’s the dream of every player to make it to the NBA. But for me, my dream was just to be able to play in the PBA. That was my goal from the start. Now that I’m close to achieving that dream, I’m realizing how much I miss playing for La Salle. I played five years for La Salle and we won the UAAP title in my second and fifth seasons. In 2013, our record was 3-4 in the first round then we made a big run with coach Juno (Sauler). It was special because nobody expected us to win the championship and my brother Jeric was also in the finals. Last year, coach Aldin (Ayo) introduced a new system and I learned a lot from him. Since it was my final season, I felt the pressure to win for a graceful exit. Everything was on the line. We lost only once the entire UAAP season and got back the championship.  In college basketball, it’s all about school pride and giving back. I’ll always be grateful to Boss Danding (Cojuangco), our managers, the administration, the faculty, student body and alumni for all their support during my five years.”

Teng said he’s excited to play in the same league as his idol James Yap of Rain Or Shine. “I was lucky to play for Mighty Sports with coach Charles (Tiu) in Dubai recently because it gave me a chance to be on the court with stars like Chris (Tiu) and Justin Brownlee,” he said. “It was my first international competition after college and taught me how to bounce back from a loss and gave me confidence to believe in myself.”

Teng and three classmates are now working on their joint thesis, an essential requirement for graduation. The thesis is about sports analytics and is scheduled for defense in July. Thesis adviser is assistant professor Junius Yu of the Decision Sciences and Innovation Department of the College of Business at La Salle. Teng is enrolled in the Business Management program with varsity players Ben Mbala, Torres and Kib Montalbo and volleyball player Kim Dy.