San Beda's Robert Bolick. Handout photo

MANILA – While he has already established himself as one of the best players in the collegiate level, San Beda guard Robert Bolick only wants to keep getting better and better.

Thus, he is grateful to have been included in the "23 for 23" list – the pool of young players who may one day play for Gilas Pilipinas in international competitions. With his inclusion in the group, Bolick had a chance to practice with some of the best young talent in the country – a group that included San Beda teammate Javee Mocon, rival CJ Perez of Lyceum, and a host of other players from the UAAP.

Bolick, who was officially named as the 2017 Collegiate Player of the Year just last Thursday, lamented that he managed to practice with the Gilas Cadet pool only a handful of times. San Beda, the reigning NCAA men's basketball champion, has had a brutal preseason schedule, as they played in a number of tournaments while also going to Dubai for overseas training.

Still, the few times that he trained with the rest of the Cadet pool – and of course, the Gilas Elite team – were highly beneficial to Bolick.

READ: Flood, illness could not stop Robert Bolick from getting his well-deserved trophy

"Ang saya, kasi kasama mo 'yung mga magagaling na player, lalo na 'yung mga gusto kong player," Bolick told reporters at the sidelines of the Chooks-to-Go Collegiate Basketball Awards last week at The Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros.

Among the players he got to work with was Ateneo guard Matt Nieto, who is also a member of the 23 for 23 pool. Bolick said he was impressed with how Nieto played the point guard position, particularly with how the Blue Eagle navigated full-court traps.

"Idol na idol ko siya, pagdating sa paano niya i-handle 'yung bola, paano siya bumaba. Kasi nga, ang Lyceum, nagta-trap eh," said Bolick, referring to the tough full-court press that the Lyceum Pirates unleashed in NCAA Season 93 en route to an unbeaten elimination round campaign.

Nieto, of course, is no stranger to full court presses: several UAAP teams – including then-defending champion De La Salle University – employed the defensive tactic last year.

"Hindi mo mata-trap si Matt eh, magaling siya eh. So ninanakaw ko 'yung kaunting galaw niya," Bolick noted.

Bolick was also inspired by Ateneo center Isaac Go, one of the heroes in the Blue Eagles' run to the UAAP Season 80 men's basketball crown.

"Kami ni Isaac, pareho lang kami ng istorya eh. Bench, and then working hard lang. Ang Ateneo boys, ibang FEU boys, mga UAAP players," he explained.

The San Beda guard also mentioned University of the East's Alvin Pasaol, who was honored as the Breakout Player of the Year by the UAAP-NCAA Press Corps last Thursday as well.

"Si Pasaol, pa-chubby-chubby lang, 49 points, isipin mo 'yun. Kalaban si Ben Mbala, isipin mo," said Bolick, referring to Pasaol's historic performance against De La Salle last year, when he rewrote the UAAP scoring records.

Bolick also wanted to steal some moves from Ateneo's Thirdy Ravena, but admitted that it was harder to do so. "Ang lakas ng katawan (ni Thirdy)," he said. "Hindi ko naman kayang gawin."

His inability to copy Ravena's moves aside, it won't be surprising to see Bolick pull off some new tricks in the upcoming collegiate basketball season – thanks to the hard work he put in the preseason, when he rigorously studied his peers from other schools.

"'Yung mga galaw nila, chini-cheat ko lang, dinadaya-daya," said Bolick. "Pina panood-panood ko lang, para dagdag ko ng dagdag sa arsenal ko 'yung mga ginagawa nila, para mag-improve ako nang mag-improve."

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