All eyes on Archers

UAAP Season 79 opening ceremonies at the UST campus in Manila. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

IF EVERYTHING else in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament starts to feel like a mere formality, it’s because the De La Salle Green Archers look downright invincible and make everyone seem like a postscript to an inevitable title run.

At least that’s how many see this La Salle team—Season 79 is the Archers’ to lose.

And even La Salle coach Aldin Ayo—who steered Letran to an improbable NCAA title romp last year—knows what he got himself into.

“It’s totally opposite when I was in Letran,” said Ayo. “No one knew my system then. This time, there’s no surprise factor. Everyone’s going to prepare for us. When I was in Letran, nobody expected us to achieve anything. But here in La Salle, they’re expecting us to win it all.”

The players also feel the expectation for the Green Archers to bag the crown—or sweep the season even, as some predicted—despite coming off a heartbreaking year where they surprisingly missed the Final Four.

Although the debacle seems like a faint memory for some fans, it’s one thing that also keeps the Archers motivated.

“We’re really hungry this year,” said King Archer Jeron Teng. “We didn’t make it to the Final Four last year and we’re still feeling the pain from last year. We just have to work hard for it and stay focused on the goal.”

Ayo thinks his Letran system, a frenetic-type of play which he described as “mayhem,” can translate to another winning run with a solid cast led by La Salle veterans Teng, Jason Perkins and Thomas Torres and rookie Cameroonian center Ben Mbala.

“I can say that we have everything,” said Ayo. “But our strength is really our character. It’s just a matter of our willingness to win. Our approach to the game is also important.”

La Salle kicks off its campaign against defending champion Far Eastern University on Wednesday.

For now, four teams looking for a fresh start try to get an early boost with their new coaches as action unfolds at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Adamson takes the floor at 2 p.m. versus University of the Philippines and new mentor Bo Perasol, who also returns to the league after a three-year stint with Ateneo.

University of Santo Tomas and Ateneo—two teams dealing not only with coaching changes but also with the graduation of key players—clash in the second game at 4 p.m.

“Slowly we’re picking up,” said Adamson coach Franz Pumaren, who tries to whip the Falcons into winning form years after he steered La Salle to the crown from 1998 to 2001 and in 2007.

“I hope we can really compete this year not only in the first 30 to 35 minutes, but until the very end.”

Unlike these rebuilding teams, though, the Archers are out to prove that they’re now built for another championship run.

“There’s pressure, but pressure is everywhere. It’s inevitable,” said Ayo. “If I had stayed with Letran, there’s pressure to repeat. Now that I’m here in La Salle, there’s pressure to win.

“If you win, you’ll be happy. If you lose, then you won’t. It’s as simple as that. I know there’s too much expectations. But if you take it positively, it will challenge you more.”