VIEW FROM THE OUTFIELD: Ef’s time has come

For those not familiar with the journey of Francis Escandor, Ef to his family and friends, many would say he is just a privileged RK.

RK is short for rich kid, an acronym I just learned that a few days ago from Edge Davao GM Olivia Velasco.

This season in the UAAP, which also happens to be his last, Ef is going through a breakout year. Too late to bloom? Nah. Just too late to get his exposure.

Under new La Salle coach Topex Robinson, Ef blossomed to full potential. Ef was groomed to be a spot up shooter by his personal coach Ronel Leuterio who has been painstakingly working for years. But with La Salle’s system, Ef has to be more than just a spot up shooter. He needs to create situations for himself and most importantly to play defense.

Ef worked his game according to the demands of the Archers’ system. He practices extra hours more than his teammates.

From his Passerelle and SBP days back in Davao with the Ateneo de Davao University Blue Knights, I followed Ef’s journey. He was a chubby, lumbering kid back then. Slower than most of the boys but he had the size to bang bodies with the rest. Today, Ef is as ripped as Conan. He became a gym rat and never stopped perfecting his game.

His mother Mik Mik once quipped, “if there is an award for most practicing player, that’s Ef.”

On Sunday, Ef fired 11 points to help La Salle exact revenge over league-leading UP Fighting Maroons. He also had a double digit performance in La Salle’s season opener.

In short, Ef is one of the reliable shooters of coach Topex whom he can dispatch anytime and expect to score.

Tiebreaker Times recently featured Ef in their website and I would like to share excerpts from that story.

Francis Escandor has been one of the most polarizing members of the De La Salle Green Archers in recent years.

The former De La Salle Zobel Junior Archer has attracted criticism because many fans question whether he deserved to be part of the Green Archers for so long in his collegiate career.

Amidst all the noise, Escandor finally came through for La Salle. He contributed 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting in the Green Archers’ 88-79 victory over the UP Fighting Maroons.

To say that his performance and the outcome made him happy would be an understatement.

“I don’t know. I’m at a loss for words right now, but it’s truly a great feeling. I really wanted that win, especially coming from a win against NU. We really wanted that win. From there, we were so grateful that we won,” said the 24-year-old Davao native. “For me, I just stayed focused on the game plan. I’m really thankful to my teammates for passing me the ball, and I’m also thankful to God for making those shots. I’m just really happy that we won.”

Representing La Salle or any major college basketball program in the Philippines will result in intense scrutiny. There are many armchair fans in the venue or on social media who are quick to criticize when their team loses a big game.

It takes a special kind of character to be able to accept that this comes with the territory. Instead of taking offence at the comments that come his way, Escandor feels that he is better off controlling what he can.

“I mean, I totally respect everyone’s opinion, but I’m not too worried about it,” the graduating winger said. “Of course, I hear them, but I just want to focus on what I can do and what I can bring to the team. Besides that, I’m really just trying to focus on playing basketball.”

Ef has indeed come of age and many have started to notice. From critics, many have converted to believers. And you have to credit Ef for that. Faced with the adverse comments, he opted to act, and not react.

And that is the hallmark of a great athlete.