AFTER an up-and-down two years with the University of the Philippines, Chicco Briones is now starting to find his niche within the system of coach Goldwin Monteverde.

The downside of playing for one of the premier collegiate basketball programs in the country is the abundance of talent in the team - meaning player minutes will be fluctuating more often than not.

That’s why the now-third-year guard is now taking pride in doing the dirty work for the reigning UAAP champions, embracing the challenge of being the squad’s perimeter defensive lynchpyn in a backcourt already oozing with offensive power with the likes of Harold Alarcon, Gerry Abadiano, and Terrence Fortea.

“It’s not really about my offensive game. There’s definitely a lot to work on with my offensive game, but really, a big part of my career is playing defense,” Briones said.

“It’s a big challenge for me, so I’m gonna show everyone that I’m able to keep up with the fastest guards in the UAAP, I’ll be able to guard them on-ball,” he added.

“Just working with my coaches all the time, coach Chris [Luanzon], coach Tom [Chua]. Basically my defensive side is what I need to show more.”

But given the opportunity to flaunt his offensive prowess, Briones also proved he can lead on the offensive end of things, finishing with 21 points on 9-13 shooting to power the Fighting Maroons to a 75-65 victory over Far Eastern University in the Playtime Cares Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup.

While he’s embracing his role as State U's stopper, he’s also confident with his offensive game – particularly his ability to stretch the floor by knocking down shots from downtown.

“Of course being a streak shooter, I also need to step up on it [offensively],” he said.

His consistent work with his game isn’t lost on his coaches.

Assistant coach Luanzon bared how after two years of going in and out of their rotation, Briones is now ready for a solid, steady role within the team.

“When you talk about the guy that puts in the work before and after practice, that’s Chicco. That has always been a part of his game,” Luanzon said.

“Si Chicco, being in his third season, he’s been there, done that. He’s been in a situation na hindi siya nagagamit, he’s been in a situation na nagagamit siya nang mahaba, or in between. Right now, having experienced all of that, we expect a lot from him this coming season,” he added.

PHOTO: Paul Pinili

Even better, Briones is certainly ready to take on the challenge.

“It’s good pressure. It’s the pressure that life is giving me, I’m just taking it bit by bit, step by step, I’m just enjoying what I have right now,” he said.

“The opportunity comes only once, I just have to grab it.”

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