UST head coach Pido Jarencio took full responsibility for the losing record his team had this UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament.

In his return to the Growling Tigers’ lair this year, Jarencio managed to steer the España-based team to a 2-12 win-loss card only, the last of those two wins came on Saturday, November 18 in a repeat win over FEU, 57-53, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Jarencio, who led UST to three finals appearances and a championship back in 2006, said that his team will be better next year, though, especially with their new recruits coming in.

“It’s a disappointing season for us right? We won two games only. I take full responsibility, I disappointed the UST community, and I would like to ask for their forgiveness. But for sure, we’ll be better next year with our recruits. My only regret is coming into the season, I have a player who didn’t tell us the truth and ultimately left us in the end,” said Jarencio.

“I have nothing to say against the 15 players who stayed. They did all they could to help UST win but we fell short. It’s on me. This is all my fault. I take full responsibility. [This losing season] is probably because we lacked preparation and there were things that I wasn’t able to control.”

Jarencio, however, could not help but once again expressed his disappointment to the player whom he said left UST hanging. While he didn’t mention any name, it was clear that Jarencio was talking about his foreign student athlete Adama Faye.

Faye played two games only this season before returning to his home country Senegal to recuperate from a back injury.

“My only regret is that I have a player who left me. I really felt bad about that because he didn’t tell me the truth. That’s it. I don’t want to mention his name but you guys already know who he is. We all have 16 players, only 15 played,” said Jarencio.