Raging FEU faces biggest test yet

By Josiah Albelda Posted Jul 17th 2013

Raging and all, Far Eastern University faces its biggest test yet. 

The Tamaraws lock horns with contender National University in the homestretch of the 76th UAAP men's basketball tournament first round Wednesday at 4 p.m. the Mall of Asia Arena.

With four wins in the bag, FEU looks to avoid the fate of its Season 75 incarnation, who after winning their first four games, sputtered with a 5-5 record the rest of the way to miss the Final Four.

"When you start thinking about the people around you, that can be the start of your downfall," said the Tamaraws' rookie coach Nash Racela. "You always need to have control in your mind."

FEU seems to have been doing just that and with arguably the best player in the UAAP right now in Terrence Romeo, they are bound to do greater things.

Romeo is leading the league in points (22.3), assists (5.3) and steals (2.0) while also placing in the top 10 in rebounding -- numbers not expected of the gunslinging junior before the season began.

On the other hand, the Bulldogs have not seen their season gone according to plan, losing a game to unheralded Adamson University and, more importantly, losing Alfred Aroga to ineligibility. 

But they will definitely be no pushovers, as they have shown in crushing University of the Philippines that they can rev up and destroy a team in a few minutes' time.

Two-time MVP Ray Parks remain as NU's heart and soul while Jean Mbe has been providing double-double after double-double as the Bulldogs attempt to stop a title drought that has lasted for more than half a century.

The game will air live on Studio 23, BALLS HD 167 and uaapsports.tv with a same day replay at 11 p.m. on BALLS SkyCable channel 34/ Destiny Cable channel 36.