Despite sealing another Finals stint, San Beda coach Jamike Jarin said that the Red Lions are going in as the underdogs against Arellano for the NCAA Season 92 championship.
“You lose your six best players from last year, you lose your best center during the season, but you still end up number one and you still go up to the Finals,” he said after San Beda’s 78-63 victory over Perpetual Help in their semifinals duel on Tuesday. “We’re struggling. We are the underdog.”
Jarin said that the Red Lions will have their hands full against the Chiefs, especially against the backcourt duo of Jiovani Jalalon and Kent Salado, who he considers as “the best backcourt in college, even in the UAAP.”
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“They’re really good. They’re great, they have a good coach, and they have a great program,” he said.
But Jarin doesn’t discount the fight San Beda will bring to the table, with guys used to the winning tradition amid an 11-season streak of making the Finals.
“We’re just doing something right, I think, and hopefully, we keep doing the right things,” he said.
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The 42-year-old coach also said that he expects an exciting duel between the top two offensive teams for the season: “This is going to be interesting.”
Boasting the league’s top pace, San Beda ranks first with 86.2 points per contest, while Arellano is at second at 83.2 markers.
“Walang kukurap, it’s going to be fast,” Jarin said.