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A SEASON
of uncertainty is about to unfold as coaches of the
University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)
men’s basketball competitions all believe there’s no
clear favorite to clinch the crown of the 71st season.
At least
six teams are tipped to figure for the title of the
UAAP’s centerpiece tournament, kicking off Saturday
(July 5) at the Araneta Coliseum.
As
defending champion La Salle lost a pair of veteran
guards, archrival Ateneo has an almost-intact lineup,
plus a couple of solid recruits that will make the
Loyola-based dribblers a Final Four contender for years
to come.
Also,
the talent level at the University of the East, the
heartbreak kid of the 2007 season, has dipped a bit. Two
of its top-three scorers last season, Mark Borboran and
Kelvin Gregorio, graduated this year.
Far
Eastern U, under second-year coach Glen Capacio, is
considered a “sleeper” for the crown, while a banged-up
University of Santo Tomas will rely mostly on its
one-two punch of Dylan Ababou and Jervy Cruz, both
injured from previous playing commitments.
Coach
Leo Austria is back at the nest of the Falcons, and
Adamson University’s solid showing in the preseason
tournaments gives hope to the team that last won the
UAAP crown in 1977.
This
season’s host, University of the Philippines, is out to
erase the 0-14 nightmare of the previous season, while
National University hopes to post more shockers akin to
the Bulldogs’ late-season upset over Ateneo last year.
Seeking
a sixth
La Salle’s Green Archers have been regular fixtures in the Final Four
since the format was introduced in 1994. Despite losing
TY Tang and Cholo Villanueva, coach Franz Pumaren’s
wards remain fearsome.
“They
are huge losses mainly because we will miss their
leadership and experience, especially in the backcourt,”
said Pumaren. “In our preseason tournaments, I’ve seen a
lot of areas we need to work on. And were working on it
and, hopefully, we’ll be ready when the season begins.”
The
playmaking burden now rests on the shoulders of
sophomore Simon Atkins, while senior JV Casio has to
carry the scoring cudgels along with James Mangahas,
Rico Maierhofer and Peejay Barua.
Rookies
Hyram Bagatsing, LA Revilla and Joshua David, grandson
of former pro great Freddie Webb, also showed glimpses
of brilliance in the summer leagues.
“More
than half my players are rookies and sophomores, that’s
why it will be difficult for us to defend the title,”
said Pumaren, eyeing his sixth UAAP title.
“But the
beauty of collegiate basketball is that anything can
happen. I guess at least five teams can make a serious
run for the title,” he added.
The
contenders
THE only
significant subtraction in Ateneo’s deep lineup is
center Ford Arao, but vastly improved six-foot-seven
Rabah Al-Hussaini and shotblock artist Nonoy Baclao are
more than willing to patrol the Blue Eagles’ frontline.
Cocaptain Chris Tiu, the five-foot-10 cold-blooded
shooter, will be again the focal point of Ateneo’s
offense, while Norman Black and the coaching staff got
an A-plus recruitment-wise, bringing in four of the
country’s most coveted high-school players.
National
Collegiate Athletic Association juniors Most Valuable
Player Ryan Buenafe of San Sebastian College, hulking
six-foot-five center Justin Chua of Chiang Kai Shek, San
Beda wingman Nic Salva and Faith Academy center Vince
Burke will be the faces of the blue and white in future
UAAP battles.
“Rookies
are rookies. In the history of the UAAP, a handful can
only make an immediate impact. But we are really happy
with our recruits. We got the players we wanted,” said
Black, a multititled pro league coach who has yet to win
a collegiate crown since assuming the post in 2005.
If
there’s one team that can match the Eagles’ potent
roster on paper, it’s FEU. The Tamaraws have an
abundance of snipers in Marlon Adolfo, Macmac Baracael,
JR Cawaling, Benedict Fernandez, Paul Sanga and John
Ramos. Point guard Andy Barroca emulating former King
Tamaraw Johnny Abarrientos in preseason tournaments
makes them even scarier.
“Tingin
ko maganda ang tsansa namin ngayon kasi last year,
maraming bago tapos rookie coach ako. Ngayon,
medyo kabisado ko na players ko at kaya kong mag-rotate
ng 10 to 12 players each game,” Capacio said.
“Pero
malalakas din ‘yung ibang teams. UE, La Salle, UST
at Ateneo laging nariyan lang. Adamson lumakas
din. I think balanse ang competition
ngayon,” the former pro guard added.
As
Capacio ranked the Red Warriors as the team to beat, UE
head coach Dindo Pumaren disagreed, saying making the
Final Four is their modest goal this season.
“We lost
two of our top scorers [Gregorio and Borboran] kaya
tingin ko we will rely more on our defensive
intensity and hustle,” said Pumaren, whose Warriors
swept the 14-game eliminations but lost to elder brother
Franz and the Green Archers in the best-of-three finals.
With
last year as a motivation, Pumaren hopes Marcy Arellano,
Elmer Espiritu, James Martinez and Hans Thiele would
play well all throughout the season.
Fiery
UST mentor Pido Jarencio hopes to see more consistency
from the Growling Tigers besides that from Ababou and
Cruz, who have hamstring and hand injuries,
respectively.
“Malaking
problema sa amin ‘yung injury nila Jervy
at Dylan dahil hindi kami makabuo sa ensayo,”
said Jarencio. “Sana may mag-step up na ibang
players pero kumpiyansa naman ako sa team ko na
lalaban talaga ’yan bawat game.”
Francis
Allera, Mark Canlas, Japs Cuan, Khazim Mirza and Chester
Taylor are other key returnees for UST, which last won
the UAAP title in 2006—Jarencio’s first year at the helm
of the Tigers.
When
asked who the teams to beat are, Jarencio said, “Halos
lahat.” |
