Knights, Stags brace for tough ‘NC’ season

Kevin Racal of Letran drives toward the basket off Gio Lasquety of JRU, at the San Juan arena. INQUIRER PHOTO/AUGUST DELA CRUZ

With key players from last season’s run no longer around, Letran and San Sebastian face an uphill climb of surpassing their achievements in the 90th NCAA basketball tournament that unfolds Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The Knights, who lost to the San Beda Red Lions in the finals, and the Stags, whose rookie-laden lineup came just two wins short of a championship stint last year, are actually squaring off in the second game of the opening-day double header.

San Beda and Jose Rizal U meet at 1 p.m., after the opening ceremony.

While the Knights remain strong in the backcourt with Mark Cruz and Kevin Racal still around, they face a tough task of stopping the league’s top big men without Raymond Almazan and Jojo Belorio.

The Stags are also smarting from the departure of several mainstays, forcing coach Topex Robinson to pin his hopes on rookies like Earvin Alvarez, Michael Calisaan and Ryan Costelo.

“We’ve been in this kind of situation last year and we did OK,” said Robinson. “We just need to play as a team.”