NCAA Season 91 preview: Arellano vying for another crack at title

Head Coach: Jerry Codinera
Last season: 13-5 (Runner-up)
Key losses: Nard Pinto, Prince Caperal, Keith Agovida
Key returnees: Jiovani Jalalon, Dioncee Holts
Key additions: Mark Tano, Brylle Meca

Coach Jerry Codinera would be the first to admit that Arellano’s runner-up finish last season was a surprise.

Setting no expectations after that sensational run to the Finals, the Defense Minister is hoping that lightning would strike twice for the Chiefs.

“I will still follow what we did last year. We didn’t set any goals, but every game, we always approach our expectations on a game-to-game basis: do well, and improve well every game,” said Codinera.

But surpassing last season’s run would be a tall task for the Chiefs as nearly half of his key cogs made their exit, leaving him with only leaders Jiovanni Jalalon and Dioncee Holts.

“There will be an imbalance in the team. We’ll just find a way to share the offense, share the ball, and I trust my veterans that they will carry the load this year,” Codinera said.

And the bulk of that load is to be vested on Jalalon, who has had a breakout year topped off with a stint with the Gilas cadets squad in the Southeast Asian Games.

Though many fear that Jalalon maybe hobbled by fatigued due to his non-stop schedule since the end of last season, Codinera is confident that his playmaker will rise up to the challenge.

“It’s really a big responsibility for him,” he said. “I’m sure he matured already from last year. Everything was too fast for him and he didn’t rest. But we will try to manage his conditioning and try to speed up his cohesion with the team around him.”

However, Codinera was quick to take the spotlight away from his star guard.

“It’s still a team game. We’re banking on consistency, better character from our players, and improvement on other facets of the game,” he said. “We’ll just find a way to be competitive and keep it close. Just to give ourselves a chance to win a game, that’s already a big thing for us.” CFC

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