Former Benilde Blazers’ senior guard Jimboy Pasturan closed the door of his collegiate basketball career after six years playing for De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. But how did Jimboy spend those six years with the Benildean community?
Fresh start
In 2018, the 5-foot-9 Cebu native guard was seeking a fresh start and moved on from the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, transferring to Taft to play for the Benilde Blazers. In an exclusive interview with The Benildean, Pasturan mentioned the factors on why he transferred to Benilde.
“Honestly, knowing na wala pa masyadong players ‘yung Benilde that time, and maganda ‘yung school and ‘yung education, so siguro ayun ‘yung mga considerations ko transferring to Benilde.”
When asked what it felt like in his early years with the green and white, he mentioned, “No’ng first year ko sa Benilde, parang nangangapa pa ako, sino ‘yung mga teammates ko and iba rin kasi ‘yung culture sa Benilde compared sa dati kong team.”
Pasturan quickly hit strides despite being a transferee and immediately impacted the team. He was once the lead guard of the Taft squad in NCAA Season 95 after averaging 12 points per game alongside three rebounds and two assists before going down with a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
Senior year
After a heartbreaking end to NCAA Season 97, the Benilde Blazers were determined to continue where they left off last season. However, the team was about to be a man short when Pasturan’s eligibility for the upcoming NCAA Season 98 was in question due to age restrictions; thankfully, he received clearance to play out his final year.
In his senior year, Pasturan saw himself coming off the bench, complimenting the rise of former and current team captains JC Cullar and Robi Nayve, respectively.
Pasturan was essential for the team, providing instant offense and leadership every time he set foot on the court. Pasturan tallied his all-time-career-high in the NCAA this season after dropping 18 points against the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Heavy Bombers. He also steered the Benilde Blazers back to the finals after dropping 16 points against the San Beda University (SBU) Red Lions in their final four matchups.
After extending the finals matchup against the Colegio de San Juan de Letrán (CSJL) Knights to game three, the Benilde Blazers ended their NCAA Season 98 campaign as the runner ups, after bowing to the defending champions in the deciding game.
When the final buzzer sounded, emotions were high—especially for Pasturan. He mentioned, “Sa totoo lang [may] mixed feelings ako that time, happy kasi umabot kami sa finals, at the same time, sad naman dahil, ayun nga, last game ko na sa collegiate career ko. Pero blessed pa rin naman ako dahil sa hardwork namin naka-abot parin kami sa finals, so kahit papaano maganda parin yung exit namin ni JC [Cullar].”
Pasturan averaged six points, four assists, and five rebounds in the finals while coming off the bench.
What's next?
Just like Cullar, the ultimate goal for Pasturan is to go pro eventually. However, Pasturan hasn’t seen action anywhere else yet. Hence, when asked if there are any specific teams he is interested in or will play for, he answered shortly, “so far, wala pa naman.” Moreover, Pasturan also shared his intentions on throwing his name into the mix of draftees in the upcoming Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Draft.
“Yes, plan ko rin talaga magpa-draft sa PBA, that’s the dream naman talaga.”
Parting ways
Pasturan took time to credit his past coaches, Ty Tang and Charles Tiu, highlighting the things he learned from them.
“Kay Coach Ty, tinuruan niya ako on how to become more vocal on and off the court, natuto ako makipag-communicate hindi lang sa mga teammates ko, [but] pati sa ibang mga tao outside of the playing court, kay Coach Charles naman, tinuruan niya ako kung paano maging authentic sa sarili ko, kumbaga dahil kay Coach Charles naging mas coachable ako as a player.”
Moreover, Pasturan also shared a message to his former teammates, saying, “To my teammates, unang-una sana makabawi kayo sa amin ni JC, galingan niyo and ‘yung consistency sa pagtatrabaho lagi niyong tandaan, kailangan mag-trabaho talaga kasi wala namang ibang hakbang papunta doon sa goal ng team.”
Lastly, when asked if the decision to transfer to Benilde was one of the best decisions he has ever made, he proudly answered, “Yes, dahil pinili ko talaga ‘yung Benilde, ang dami kong naging kaibigan dito, at thankful ako dahil kahit papaano nakatulong ako dito sa Benilde, and ayun, hopefully maka-graduate tayo.”
Pasturan experienced the highest and the lowest of highs throughout his time as a Benilde Blazer, from becoming the lead guard in Season 95, then suffering a season-ending injury, to playing a vital role off the bench and reaching the final four and the finals in his last year.
Pasturan is living proof that only those who confront unusual challenges can flaunt extraordinary success; despite the amount of adversity he had to face and overcome, he didn’t shy away from the opportunity to become better as a player, as a teammate, and as a person.
