Which UAAP team can stop the Blue Eagles?

Photo by Kevin C. Tatco

“THE MORE you win, the bigger the target gets on your chest, and the more people want to shoot you down,” Ateneo Blue Eagles’ coach Norman Black stated after their Filoil championship victory against the San Beda Lions.

After winning three straight championships and recruiting prized rookies Kiefer Ravena and Greg Slaughter, most Ateneo fans are confident that the Blue Eagles will come out on top in the coming UAAP wars. Perhaps, the only thing uncertain is the date of this year’s bonfire.

As summer unraveled, though, the preseason tournaments showed that the journey to a Blue and White four-peat is not without roadblocks. Prized high school recruits justified the hype that surrounded them, foreign players lorded over a height-challenged basketball scene, and new coaches showcased fresh systems.

It’s hard to be complacent when the level of competition is high, and where several teams are capable of foiling Coach Norman’s plans.

The dogs are out

The National University (NU) Bulldogs have been somewhat of a joke, languishing in the bottom half of the standings for most of the past decade. But after shopping mall magnate Henry Sy took over, the team has rebooted in only two years.

Last season, NU fought to fifth place with a .500 winning percentage, with Cameroonian Emmanuel Mbe, receiving Mythical Five honors.

Though they lost to the Blue Eagles in the FilOil elimination round, the Bulldogs managed to defeat Ateneo in the Fr. Martin’s Cup, which they eventually won after defeating the Mapua Cardinals in the final.

This season, NU will be parading its recruits who sat out due to eligibility rules last year. Adding some international flavor are Cameroonian Henri Betayene and top recruit Bobby “Ray-ray” Parks, son of former PBA import, Bobby Parks Sr. Parks allegedly refused an opportunity to play with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in order to suit up for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs are also reinforced with a duo of RP Youth cagers in Cederick Labing-Isa and Angelo Alolino. Both have played under national team coach Eric Altamirano, who will call shots for NU this season.

Other notable recruits include UST High standout Kyle Neypes and transferee Denice Villamor.

Sharpening their arrows

Admittedly, the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers make the most disputable addition to this list, but they are the only UAAP team to have beaten the Blue Eagles twice in the preseason—once in Dubai, and the other in the last game of the FilOil preseason elimination round.

The Taft-based squad, heavily criticized for being a guard-heavy team, have managed to offset their lack of size with a few towering recruits: 6’8” Arnold Van Opstal, a long, athletic center from De La Salle Zobel, Alfonso Gotladera, a 6’4” bruiser from San Beda College, and versatile 6’6” Fil-Canadian Norbert Torresan. With these additions, the Green Archers will have the muscle to match Ateneo’s frontline.

Speedster LA Revilla will also make his UAAP return after battling diabetes and hyperthyroidism.

After concluding a training camp in the US, considerable improvement was showcased by their backcourt during their latest win over the Blue Eagles, most notably by Revilla and Sam Marata.

Coach Dindo Pumaren will still be manning the bases for the Green and White, while San Beda graduate Dan Sara is pegged as the DLSU guard of the future.

Battle of the birds

For the past three years, the Blue Eagles have justified themselves to be bigger, quicker and more dominant, but the Adamson Soaring Falcons still threaten to knock the Eagles out of the sky.

Compared to other teams, the Falcons had not added anyone noteworthy to their team (yet), but have kept last season’s veteran core intact. Though Will Stinnett and Michael Galinato have played out their tenure, Adamson’s most vital cogs have stayed.

The three-pronged backcourt of Lester Alvarez, Alex Nuyles and Jerick Cañada will continue to devastate opposing backcourts while Kenyan Austin Manyara and Jan Colina will bring their defensive mindset back for the Falcons in the middle.

With the other teams’ additions, Adamson will have to rely on growth from within, but Coach Leo Austria is more than capable of bringing the Falcons back to the Final Four.

Thankfully for some, though, Ingrid Sewa from Cameroon will have to sit out Season 74 due to residency issues.

Looking to bounce back

After falling to the Blue Eagles in last season’s finals, the Far Easter University (FEU) Tamaraws are back with a vengeance.

Gone is Coach Glenn Capacio, who led them to a season-best 12-2 record in Season 73. Replacing him will be former head coach Bert Flores, who has produced winning seasons for the Tams in his tenure as head coach before Capacio took over.

Gone too are forwards Paul Sanga and Reil Cervantes, but FEU still stands tall—literally and figuratively.

Sikam Sentcheu, a 6’10” banger from Cameroon, is finally eligible to play for the Tams this year, and Rookie Russel Escoto, an FEU-FERN standout, looks like a more polished Aldrech Ramos.

Chris Tolomia will follow a list of premier guards from FEU-FERN, in a team featuring Terrence Romeo and Jens Knuttel. Of course, the presence of last season’s league MVP cannot be excluded, as RR Garcia will do everything in his power to finally bring the trophy back to Morayta.