FilOil MVP, champion Harold Alarcon stays grounded amid potential breakout for UP

Harold Alarcon

Throughout the 2023 FilOil Preseason Cup, UP guard Harold Alarcon (186-G-2002) emerged as one of the Fighting Maroons' most consistent weapons in their ever-growing arsenal of blue-chip recruits. After a promising elimination round run that netted UP a knockout final spot alongside La Salle, Alarcon earned tangible validation for his consistent play in the form of the FilOil Preseason MVP award, putting him ahead of all other collegiate standouts in the massive 20-team field. Despite the lofty achievement, the 6-foot-1 gunner stepped back from the limelight and turned in a modest performance in UP's eventual 87-76 title clincher over erstwhile unbeaten La Salle: 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. That kind of outing, however, waxed symbolic of the role Alarcon envisions himself filling come Season 86 - already a high-stakes run for a UP team that put the league on high alert following a massive recruitment tidal wave. 'As a player, I'm not feeling the pressure because my mindset stays with the team,' he said in Filipino. 'Whatever is best for the team and whatever that can be done to improve it, that's what I'd do.' Just the seventh-highest scorer in a loaded Maroons roster for UAAP Season 85, Alarcon nonetheless showed flashes of brilliance in high-pressure situations, including the best-of-three finals that the Ateneo Blue Eagles eventually won. Following the departures of team stars Carl Tamayo, Zavier Lucero, and captain James Spencer, Alarcon's stellar FilOil run all but proved he is more than ready to take the leap, both in skills and mentality. He, however, doesn't plan stepping on any toes on his way to the top, as any true leader would want. 'We're just going to help one another as a team and fulfill our one goal, to win a championship,' he said.
Courtesy of: rappler.com



Tags : HAROLD ALARCON, PHILIPPINES U18 NATIONAL TEAM, FILIPINO BASKETBALL