By: Dominic Adrian Veloso
For the past three seasons, the UAAP Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament Finals has been an exclusive club for De La Salle University and the University of the Philippines.
However, as the Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off this Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, the league’s landscape looks very different, opening the door for the rest of the field.
The two powerhouses enter the season without some of the key players who fueled their respective championship runs over the last three years.
The Green Archers saw the departure of Season 88 Finals MVP Mike Phillips, Kean Baclaan, and EJ Gollena. On the other hand, the Fighting Maroons bid farewell to their “Maroon 5” of Gerry Abadiano, Harold Alarcon, Terrence Fortea, Reyland Torres, and Janjan Felicilda.
This massive roster turnover in Taft and Diliman has left the league without a clear-cut favorite. For perennial contenders Far Eastern University, University of Santo Tomas, and National University, however, that uncertainty is a welcome development.
With the eight-team field now seemingly leveled, the Tamaraws, Growling Tigers, and Bulldogs are all looking to spoil the Green Archers’ and Fighting Maroons’ parade and finally break the three-year Finals monopoly between the two squads.
Among the three squads, FEU head coach Sean Chambers has been the most confident. He will parade an intact core consisting of reigning MVP Janrey Pasaol, Jorick Bautista, Jedric Daa, Kirby Mongcopa, and Senegalese-Gambian center Mo Konateh after a fifth-place finish in Season 88.
However, Chambers’ confidence extends beyond his veteran players, as the third-year head coach also bolstered his roster with prized rookies Cabs Cabonilas and Marc Burgos.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“I don’t think anybody outside this room is not aware of the roster that we have now. When you add MVP in Cabonilas, you add a really amazing kid in Marc Burgos. And you’re all going to be really, really surprised by the skill level, the life skills. Those are three dynamic players that we’re going to add to; I believe it’s 10 guys that we already have returning,” Chambers said.
“The beauty of what we have created this year is that, I think it’s 10 or 11 guys [who] have been with me since I started. And nobody else was going to say that. Our team is intact. We lost two guys that were within the program, as well as Neil Owens, who was a great addition for us. But these guys, these kids all grew up in the high school system,” he added.
“They’ve all been around each other since they were 14, 15 years old. It’s hard to mimic that brotherhood that we have with each other right now.”
Not to be left behind is UST head coach Pido Jarencio, who also had a productive offseason. His team won the NSAC College Campus Tour title and the Pinoyliga The Big Dance Championship while offsetting the departures of Nic Cabañero, Forthsky Padrigao, and Kyle Paranada.
Twenty years after the Growling Tigers’ last UAAP men’s basketball title, Jarencio understands that UST is ripe for another championship, with Collins Akowe, Mark Llemit, Amiel Acido, and Gelo Crisostomo leading the charge.
On top of that, the Growling Tigers secured key commitments during the offseason, bringing in one-and-done players Donovan Sevilla, Landyn Jumawan, and Lorenzo Abellar, along with rookies Kirk Cañete, Charles Esteban, and Andrew Chio.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Siguro yung pre-season is more on nag-build ng chemistry sa team, and at the same time, ready na rin yung team at yung preparations namin for Season 89. Kaya maghanda kayo,” Jarencio said.
“Actually, we have a lot of players who will step up after Padrigao and Cabañero. Mark Llemit, Amiel Acido, Gelo Crisostomo and Collins Akowe. The boys are really hungry.”
Over at Jhocson, however, NU faces a tougher task after losing the core that carried it to the Final Four in Season 88.
With Jake Figueroa, Jolo Manansala, Omar John, Steve Nash Enriquez, and Mark Parks no longer with the program, head coach Jeff Napa welcomes a younger roster led by Reinhard Jumamoy, Tebol Garcia, PJ Palacielo, Kenshin Padrones, and Mo Diassana.
On top of Jumamoy and company, Napa will also expect key contributions from homegrown products Mac Alfanta, Chad Cartel, and Kurl Figueroa, alongside the addition of Canadian forward DJ Laconsay.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Moving forward na kami doon. Sabi, learning experience pa rin kami. Kasi, if we contribute here, wala namang makapagpahinga sa service team, team number one. Hopefully, yung approach pa rin namin, ganun pa rin. Pero, yun nga lang, mas bumata yung team. Kailangan mas ayusin pa namin yung approach para at least makuha namin kung ano man yung gusto namin,” Napa said.
“Hindi. May character pa rin yung team. Siyempre, kahit papaano, naka-concentrate pa rin. Magiging resilient pa rin kami talaga. Tapos, yung identity talaga namin, yun yung binibuild up namin throughout the off-season. So far, yung pagpapalit namin dito, unti-unti. So, finastrack ko lang yung maturity ng mga players namin. Lalo na yung mga nag-come from high school para at least mabilis sila maka-adapt sa coming to our season.”
