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CHICAGO – Roger Ray Pogoy can be a guilty pleasure, so wickedly good. Born and raised in Cebu, he has a spicy game like Bicol Express.
But if TNT were to beat Geneva in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, the 2017 Rookie of the Year, via UC and FEU, must be attractive.
Like hot, steaming hot lava.
Pogoy prodded the Gin Kings by 19 points in TNT’s overtime loss last Sunday, but left much more on the table, hitting just 7 of 17 from the field and 1 of 6 from 3.
He swears the Guinevere defense didn’t silence his rifle.
“I just didn’t have any leftovers,” Pogot told me during a lengthy interview Tuesday night.
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With a calf injury causing Bobby Ray Parks to have second thoughts for the second game, I asked Roger if the coaching staff would put the extra load on his shoulders in the event Parks couldn’t go.
Not necessarily. But he won’t be shy either.
“I don’t have much left in Game 2. I’ll still read their defense. When they shoot me, they’ll still shoot me.” (I won’t take any more shots in Game 2, but if they let me shoot, I’ll keep shooting.)
Like oil leaking from an old car engine, RR is leaking with such confidence that the pressure of winning a championship does not weigh on him.
“The pressure is always there. It depends on how you handle it. But now I want to be a champion.” (The pressure is always there and it depends on how you handle it. For now, I really want to be a champion though).
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Yes, a PBA title is the only missing token in Roger’s decorated career and there is no shortage of people in the business who believe the former Gilas player will elevate his game even further during these Philippine Cup Finals. PBA.
Jonas Panerio from SunStar Cebu chronicled Pogoy’s exploits as a high school star at Cebu University between 2004 and 2008. He knows Pogoy well, they are tight-fisted as thieves.
“Roger has streaks. And he’s cunning. He’s not the fastest. He’s not the most athletic. But he has that Cebuano courage,” Panerio said.
In addition to finding his range, Roger also needs to shore up his defense, because these Gin Kings, with LA Tenorio overseeing the assault, aren’t just squirting at you. They attack in relentless and vigorous waves.
So who of those tough Geneva horsemen is the hardest to defend? I asked Roger.
“Pringle. Very fast so you play well” (Pringle. So fast and plays very well).
Hard not to agree. Stan The Man is fast as a pickpocket, faster than a heart attack.
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After being locked in the City of Angeles bubble for months, Roger admits to having a burst of melancholy from time to time. He longs for his family and loved ones, especially the love of his life, Lovelynn.
For now, however, the only thing he has in his sights is the second game.
In fact, I don’t have a horse in the TNT-Geneva race, but after talking to Roger on the phone after his team’s filming session, it’s hard not to lean on the side of Tropang Giga.
Because RR Pogoy can’t possibly not like it.
Even with all the success and a game that may be out of this world, it has somehow remained down to earth.
