FTER enjoying the view from the top, La Salle certainly wants to stay there as a brand-new season of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament fires off today.
“I’m really confident that we’re prepared for the UAAP,” said King Archer Jeron Teng. “All summer long, we focused on the preseason. I think we’re ready.”
Well equipped for another championship run, the Green Archers start their title defense against a new-look Far Eastern University at 4 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum (See UAAP Special).
“I like that we’re very complete,” said La Salle’s star center Arnold Van Opstal. “We have the same advantages as last season, and I think we have the strongest lineup in the UAAP.”
Season 77 of the country’s premier collegiate league gets going at 12 noon with a grand opening ceremony prepared by host school University of the East.
The UE Warriors, who will debut with new coach Derrick Pumaren, open their bid versus a more hopeful University of the Philippines in the first game at 2 p.m.
“They play with a lot of confidence now,” Pumaren said of the Maroons, who had a pitiful 0-14 run last year. “From what I’ve seen in the preseason, they know how to win now. So we expect a tough game against them.”
Focus, though, has been trained on the Archers, who added even more muscle to their virtually intact team with four prized recruits.
“We probably have a deeper bench now,” said La Salle coach Juno Sauler.
While the Archers beefed up, the Tamaraws hope to find a new leader after losing star guards RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo to the pros.
“It’s going to be a collective effort from all the players,” said FEU coach Nash Racela, who’s banking on the leadership of Mike Tolomia and the much-improved forward Mac Belo.
“We played La Salle twice in the preseason and we lost both times,” added Racela. “We just need to do more. Hopefully, it’s going to be effective.”
Teng and Van Opstal head the La Salle core along with Jason Perkins, Norbert Torres and Almond Vosotros. New faces include the Filipino-American duo of Julian Sargent and Abu Tratter, last year’s NCAA juniors MVP Prince Rivero and Terence Mustre, the son of former PBA player Mike Mustre.
“Coming out of a championship, I think everyone knew that already—that people will be targeting us,” said Van Opstal. “There’s not much pressure because it’s already a given.”