THE Arellano University Chiefs are strong, championship contenders in the 92nd National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament, when it blasts off this Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Most of the coaches agree on this, including new Letran Knights’ coach Jeff Napa, San Beda Red Lions’ mentor Jamike Jarin, and Mapua’s Atoy Co, who is considered the most senior coach in the league.
“Lahat ng team malakas, especially ang Arellano. Bago ako sa college, but we will be competitive as well,” said Napa Wednesday at a press conference launching the 92nd season of the NCAA.
Many coaches believe the Chiefs’ pre-season campaign was tough and has given the players the killer instinct needed to help them make it through the coming season.
“They have the best defensive players around,” said Jarin, noting how good their point guards Jiovani Jalalon and Kent Salado are turning out to be.
“They have good defensive players, but there’s also something about their guards. The team to beat is Arellano,” Jarin added.
Co, on the other hand, agreed, saying that the Chiefs made matters difficult for Mapua when they clashed at pre-season competitions during the summer.
The Chiefs underwent a massive buildup by joining two pre-season cagefests, the Fr. Martin Summer tournament and another cagefest.
“Mahirap manalo, pero nakabuti iyung buildup nu’ng off-season,” Chiefs coach Jerry Codinera.
Meanwhile, the Knights open their title-retention bid with a new coach, dueling with the Red Lions at 4 p.m.
The Knights will also play without two leading players who have graduated, Mark Cruz and Kevin Racal.
Later at 4 p.m., the Mapua Cardinals will meet the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers.
NCAA president and San Beda rector-president Rev. Fr. Aloysius Ma. Maranan, OSB, yesterday said the season will be formally ushered in with an opening number to remember that will be directed by Douglas Nierras at 12:30 p.m. with emphasis on the theme “Sports Builds Character: Achieving Breakthrough @Season 92.”
“We’re expecting a very exciting NCAA season not just in basketball but in all our sports as well,” said Maranan, in a gathering which was also attended by presidents, owners and rectors of all 10 participating schools and top officials of television partner ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Sports and Action.
The league will also retire the No. 14 jersey number the late great Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga wore during his San Beda days in the 50s.
NCAA Management Committee chair Jose Mari Lacson said the family of Loyzaga, known as the “The Big Difference” and considered the best basketball player this country has produced, including son Chito will be present to witness the historic event.
“Caloy Loyzaga has made not just San Beda and NCAA but also the whole Philippines proud so it’s about time we return what he had done by honoring him with this,” said Lacson.
Loyzaga, who passed away early this year, won a pair of championships with San Beda in 1951 and 1952, helped the country win gold medals twice in the FIBA-Asia Championship (1960 and 1963) and four times in the Asian Games (1951, 1954, 1958 and 1962) and a bronze in the FIBA Worlds in 1954 in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.
LETRAN finally gets the chance to defend its title with a new coach and minus two of its leaders while San Beda seeks to regain the crown it lost last year without practically all its starters as the two collide in a match kicking off the 92nd National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
NCAA president and San Beda rector-president Rev. Fr. Aloysius Ma. Maranan, OSB, yesterday said the season will be formally ushered in with an opening number to remember, to be directed by Douglas Nierras at 12:30 p.m., with emphasis on the theme “Sports Builds Character: Achieving Breakthrough @Season 92.”
“We’re expecting a very exciting NCAA season not just in basketball, but in all our sports as well,” said Maranan in the press conference at the Coral Hallway of the MOA Arena that was also attended by presidents, owners and rectors of all 10 participating schools and top officials of television partner ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Sports and Action.
The league will also retire the No. 14 jersey number the late great Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga wore during his San Beda days in the 50s.
NCAA Management Committee chair Jose Mari Lacson said the family of Loyzaga, known as the “The Big Difference” and considered the best basketball player this country has produced, including son Chito will be present to witness the historic event.
“Caloy Loyzaga has made not just San Beda and NCAA but also the whole Philippines proud so it’s high time we returned what he had done by honoring him with this,” said Lacson.
Games Saturday
(MOA Arena, Pasay City)
12:30 p.m.-
Opening Ceremonies
2 p.m.- San Beda
vs Letran (srs)
4 p.m.- Mapua
vs Jose Rizal (srs)