The NCAA Final Four showdown pitting the Arellano U Chiefs and Jose Rizal U Heavy Bombers will put two close friends on opposite sides in what is expected to be an enthralling coaching battle.
Jerry Codiñera of Arellano and Vergel Meneses of JRU share a tight bond, having played together in one of the most exciting eras of the PBA in the 1990s.
That friendship stretched off the court even after their retirement and Meneses said he and Codiñera would usually room together in out-of-town games of PBA legends. Only recently, Meneses invited Codiñera to play in Bulacan for another legends game.
“Jerry is my closest friend among the coaches in the NCAA,” said Meneses. “Our friendship has come a long way since our days in the PBA.”
But the friendship will take a backseat as they try to lead their respective teams to the finals on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
San Beda and Perpetual Help University clash in the other semifinal pairing with the Lions needing just a victory to advance to a ninth straight finals.
Codiñera’s Chiefs also have a twice-to-beat edge over the Bombers, who are seeking a first finals appearance since 2008. The two teams split their first two meetings with Arellano avenging a triple-overtime loss to JRU in the second round.
One of the most improved teams this season, Arellano is making its first Final Four appearance since joining the league in 2009.
The battle between the second and third seeds also features a clash in styles.
Under Codiñera, the Chiefs are playing a high-octane game, relying on their suffocating press to get easy transition baskets. Arellano also boasts of explosive guards Jiovani Jalalon and John Pinto.
The Bombers love to play deliberate basketball, often wearing down teams with Meneses instilling a defense-first mind-set. Philip Paniamogan has hogged the limelight with his three-point sniping, but Meneses said defensive specialists Nonoy Benavides and Dave Sanchez have played equally important roles in their rise this season.
“It’s an interesting matchup,” said Meneses who beat Perpetual Help for the third seed. “We hope to maximize our strengths against Arellano.”