MANILA, Philippines – De La Salle University sophomore Justine Baltazar can be forgiven if he is starting to get frustrated with his minutes.

After all, the 6-foot-7 slotman has only seen action in eight of the Green Archers' 11 games in UAAP Season 80, and is averaging just 8.9 minutes per game – down from the 10 minutes per contest that he played as a rookie.

Yet Baltazar, who opted to go to La Salle after a successful high school career with the National University Bullpups, refuses to put his head down and pout. Instead, he is following the instructions of coach Aldin Ayo to the letter.

"Sinasabi lang ni coach na mag-ready lang ako lagi," the soft-spoken Baltazar told reporters on Wednesday. "Pag napagod si Ben (Mbala) – siyempre, napapagod din si Ben -- kailangan ko mag-ready, baka hugutin ako ni coach."

When he does get his time on the court, Baltazar makes sure to display the tantalizing talent that made him a highly recruited player. Against University of the East on Wednesday, "Balti" was on the floor for almost 14 minutes, and had 13 points, three boards, a steal, and three blocked shots.

• READ: DLSU’s frontcourt still has much to offer after Mbala

"Magic bunot lang siguro," he quipped after the Green Archers came away with the 99-78 win that assured them of a spot in the Final Four of Season 80.

Perhaps what was so impressive about Baltazar's performance on Wednesday was how solid he was on offense. He made his name as a rim protector in high school, but against the Red Warriors, Baltazar made all six of the shots he took, including a three-pointer that he banked in off the glass.

"Tulad ng sabi ni coach, huwag kang mahiya tumira," said Baltazar.

His triple, which gave La Salle its biggest lead at 74-47 with 2:25 left in the third quarter, came smoothly. Baltazar did not take a single triple in his rookie season, but on Wednesday he showed no hesitation in putting up the long-range bomb after finding himself wide-open.

"Talagang pina-practice ko 'yun," said Baltazar. "Lagi kong tina-trabaho. Lagi akong sa training, pina-practice ko lagi."

"Para malito rin 'yung nagbabantay sa akin," added the center, who said he has been working on expanding his range for some three months now.

Baltazar, who only averages 4.4 points per game so far as a sophomore, said he will continue to provide quality minutes for the Green Archers, as he patiently waits for his time to have a bigger role in the team.

"Sinasabi lang ni coach na mag-ready lang ako, kasi hindi naman pwedeng first quarter hanggang fourth quarter, maglalaro si Ben," he pointed out. "Kailangan lang mag-ready."

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