Just like in UAAP Season 76, the De La Salle University Green Archers will only field 13 student-athletes for the Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Each squad is allowed to field 15 players for the season, but the Green Archers’ staff decided to trim down their team by two.
Leading the squad is team skipper Kib Montalbo.
Joining him in the backcourt are Aljun Melecio, Andrei Caracut, Jollo Go, and rookie Encho Serrano.
Mark Dyke is set to make his return after a one-year absence.
Completing La Salle’s cast are Justine Baltazar, Santi Santillan, Taane Samuel, Brandon Bates, Gabe Capacio, Miggy Corteza, and Joaqui Manuel.
Louie Gonzalez will be making his debut as head coach of a collegiate team.
The Green Archers’ pre-season campaign spanned three tournaments.
Last season’s runners-up joined the Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup presented by Chooks-to-Go that ended at the quarterfinals. They then went to Taiwan, finishing in fifth place in the BLIA Cup, before making a stop in South Korea, tallying a 2-3 record in the Asia-Pacific University Basketball Challenge.
Back in Season 76, La Salle won the men’s basketball crown after surviving a three-game Finals series against the UST Growling Tigers. The Green Archers entered the Final Four of that season as the second seed.
