DEFENDING champion Adamson University begins its quest for back-to-back titles in the UAAP High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre, facing off against Far Eastern University-Diliman.
The battle between these two title contenders will tip off the tournament at 8 a.m.
Last season, the Baby Falcons—led by the formidable quartet of Tebol Garcia, Vince Reyes, JC Bonzalida, and Gene Carillo—clinched their first championship in 31 years by defeating the National University Nazareth School Bullpups in a grueling three-game series.
However, with those key players now going up the collegiate ranks, Adamson looks to Finals MVP Mark Esperanza, Earl Medina, and Allen Perez to step up as the team’s new leaders.
“Ang mindset nila ngayon is no longer about defending the title kasi tapos na ’yun e. Ang utak ng mga bata ngayon is nasa game nila. To defend the title, we have to be consistent muna,” said Baby Falcons head coach Mike Fermin. “Laging one game at a time muna ang approach namin.
“Yung tatlo, yung growth nila going into the season, sobrang nakakatuwa. Nakatulong talaga yung stint nila sa Batang Gilas. They were playing against stronger and better players. Pinakita rin nila yung brilliance nila at nai-share nila sa team namin,” Fermin added.
On the other side, the Baby Tamaraws will be anchored by the Gilas Youth duo of Cabs Cabonillas and Marc Burgos, both of whom have shown significant improvement in their game.
“Yung FEU na ’yan, one of the title contenders for me. Lahat ng teams, hindi mo puwedeng maliitin. Pero kung may team na laging magpapakaba sa’yo, FEU na ’yun. Right from the start, kailangan focused agad. Dapat game na,” Fermin emphasized.
FEU-Diliman also welcomes a new head coach, Denok Miranda, who takes over from Allan Albano.
Miranda, concurrently the head of basketball operations at FEU, acknowledges the challenge posed by the defending champions.
“Siyempre, defending champion sila e. Medyo maiksi yung preparation namin. Nandiyan yung culture nila, at mahirap pa rin kalaban,” Miranda noted.
Miranda is also proud of the development shown by Cabonillas and Burgos, especially after their stint with Batang Gilas.
“Happy kami kasi yung experience nila tumaas yung level ng laro nila. Malaking bagay sa amin na na-experience nila yun, at FEU ang nag-benefit,” he added.
The 10 a.m. game features reigning Most Valuable Player Collins Akowe and the NUNS Bullpups taking on the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs, who are led by newcomer Racine Kane.
The Bullpups will be without senior guard Tom Pillado for the first four games of the season due to accumulated unsportsmanlike and technical fouls from last year.
“Sobrang gutom yung mga bata ngayon. Sabi ko sa kanila na yung defeat namin last year, gawin nating motivation. Nadagdagan pa yung gutom dahil sa dalawang tournaments na hindi namin nakuha sa preseason. Iba siguro ang plano ni Lord para sa amin,” said Bullpups head coach Kevin de Castro.
De Castro also highlighted the arrival of inaugural UAAP Junior High School Basketball MVP Shaun Lucido, heady point guard Mot Matias, and Huasiong transferee Jid Locsin, bolstering the Bullpups’ roster.
“Sa UST, isa sila sa mga contender this season. Nakapag-prepare na kami for them, and let’s see yung magiging resulta bukas,” De Castro added.
Meanwhile, UST Tiger Cubs head coach Manu Iñigo is optimistic after a productive preseason.
“Very satisfied kami sa preseason namin. Yung goal namin is to improve yung chemistry ng team, at nakapag-champion pa kami,” Iñigo shared.
He also praised the growth of big man Koji Buenaflor, along with Wacky Ludovice, Carl Manding, and Charles Esteban, whose Gilas Youth experience has elevated their game.
The 6-foot-7 Kane is another standout, with Inigo describing him as the team’s “superhero.”
“Tuwing nasa loob siya, umaangat yung buong team. Malaking bagay na may big man kami dahil tumataas yung confidence ng mga bata,” Inigo said.
In the 12 noon game in this tournament which also serves as a qualifier for the Smart NBTC National Finals, Ateneo de Manila University, under new head coach and former Blue Eagle Ford Arao, will face the University of the East Junior Warriors.
Ateneo’s lineup includes second-generation cagers Ziv Espinas and UAAP Season 87 Junior High School MVP Zane Kallos.
UE’s second-year head coach Karl Santos aims to build on their fifth-place finish last year, with hopes of finally cracking the top four.
The day’s final game at 2 p.m. pits Kieffer Alas and the De La Salle-Zobel Junior Archers against the UP Integrated School Fighting Maroons.
