Marasigan Turns Suspension Into Fuel for a Breakout La Salle Run
De La Salle Green Archers guard-forward Vhoris Marasigan admits that his suspension hit him harder than he expected. The one-game ban came at a time when La Salle was already dealing with injuries and a tight race in the UAAP Season 88 standings. His disqualifying foul on NU’s Omar John became a talking point across social media, putting him under a spotlight he never wanted.
“Marami akong natutunan. Kasi parang ang dami rin pumapasok sa isip ko noon. Parang sa isip ko, ang daming nagagalit sa akin. Kasi, kulang-kulang na nga kami. Tapos, nasuspended pa ako.”
The public reaction weighed on him. Headlines called the punch unnecessary. Fans questioned his judgment. And with La Salle slipping in the standings during a tough stretch of games, the timing only made things feel heavier. But instead of letting it swallow him, he tried to redirect everything. He forced himself back to the routine that gave him purpose.
“Inisantabi ko muna yung sarili ko kasi kailangan ko muna mag-focus. Ayun, bumalik ako sa practice. Binabalik ko yung energy ko sa practice. Parang minsan sa practice, nawawalan ako ng kumpiyansa. Kasi suspended nga ako, hindi ako sinasali sa mga scrimmage.”
It was a difficult stretch. La Salle badly needed bodies, and he couldn’t be one of them. Yet through the frustration, the coaching staff kept reminding him he still mattered. Even before the suspension, Topex Robinson had praised Marasigan’s energy and potential to be a real weapon for the Archers. That trust stayed in place, even as he served his penalty.
The team also lost EJ Gollena during a crucial game, another punch to their rotation. Instead of treating it as a setback, Marasigan chose to see it as a sign to rise to the moment. He wanted to help fill the void, and he wanted to repay the belief the staff kept showing him.
“Ayun nga, binibigyan ako ng kumpiyansa ng mga coaches. And then, ginagrab ko lang yun na opportunity para sa akin. Kasi, ayun nga, nawala si EJ. Sabi ko sa sarili ko na kailangan ko mag-step up. And then, ayun na nga, nagbunga yung pag step up ko. Pumapasok lang yung tira ko.”
And he did step up. In La Salle’s win against UP, a game the Archers needed to stop a three-game skid, Marasigan dropped 17 points, including 14 in the second half. The performance helped La Salle secure at least a playoff for the Final Four. It was his strongest outing of the season, and it came right after the lowest moment of his UAAP career.
This season is shaping up to be a turning point for him. He has history behind his motivation too. Last year, he lost his father to a sudden medical emergency during a D-League game he was playing in. From that day forward, every game has carried a little more weight.
Now, coming off the suspension and a breakout performance, he is more aware than ever of what he owes to his teammates and to himself.
“Yung mindset ko, sabi ko na kailangan ko bumawi sa mga teammates ko. Parang, sa isip ko, ang dami kong pagkukulang sa kanila. Ayan, ito si Mike, lagi niya akong sinasabihan na ‘focus lang’ and then ‘kaya natin yan.’ ”
“That’s my idol,” captain Mike Phillips says.
The season is still far from over. But for Marasigan, the path is simpler now: stay focused, stay grounded, stay ready. The noise has faded, the confidence is coming back, and the door is wide open for him to keep growing into the player La Salle believes he can be.
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