INQUIRER Sports

THE CONFIDENT ADAMSON swagger, missing for the better part of last season, is back.

And coach Leo Austria said his Falcons will have difficulty finding excuses if they fail to barge into the Final Four for the first time since 2006 this season.

“This is a good opportunity for us to make it to the Final Four simply because many teams lost their top players,” said Austria.

The return of veteran point guard and former juniors’ MVP Leo Canuday has Austria excited.

Canuday, sidelined by an elbow injury last season, returns to the roster initially as backup for point guard Jerick Cañada.

Austria said he expects improved performances from Jan Colina and Michael Galinato, who both saw action in the PBL as the Falcons try to fill the gaps left by Paul Gonzalgo and Marc Agustin.

“It’s basically the same lineup as last season,” said Austria, who noted that rookies Ross Cabrera and James Canson are taller than Gonzalgo and Agustin.