FINALS MVP Joel Cagulangan is getting ready for another title conquest when the 94th season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association junior basketball tournament comes around.
With four teammates graduating, after La Salle Greenhills’ championship in in Season 93, the 17-year-old Cagulangan will be among players who will be back to lead the Greenies in their bid to keep the crown they won at the expense of the San Beda Red Cubs last November.
“Lahat ng teammates ko, gusto ng back-to-back. Lahat ng teams nakatingin sa amin kasi kami ang defending champion,” said the 5’11 Cagulangan.
Those who will remain with Cagulangan are upbeat that they can pull it off again.
The Greenies earlier felt that they could not win the crown and that season 94 will be their year.
“Alam namin na kaya namin this season, Pero, prefer namin mag-champion next year. Pero, iyun nga, nagtiwala kami sa mga coaches. Lahat ng pinagagawa sa amin, sinunod namin. Kaya, nakuha namin ang championship,” said Cagulangan.
The 5’8” Cagulangan finished the season with an average of 15 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.4 steals.
He scored his highest when the Greenies lost to the Letran Squires, 86-89, towards the end of the eliminations.
The season ended with the Greenies carving out a 75-74 win in Game 3 over the defending champion Malayan Red Robins at the Arena in San Juan.
Joshua David led with a season-high 27 points and came off with a big steal in the remaining four seconds to power the Greenies to their first ever championship conquest.
The 6’0” David made up for a two missed free throws in the last 14 seconds with a steal off a fallen Warren Bonifacio, forcing a turnover with four ticks to go.
Cagulangan, who is the finals MVP, delivered 19 points, with his two charities in the final 37.3 seconds off Carl Lacap’s foul allowing the Greenies to finalize the count and overtake the Red Robins for the last time.
Four players will not be around next season. They include senior player Joshua Marcos, Karl Belgica, Jesmar Pedrosa and Albert Bordeos who are graduating.
Among those remaining with Cagulangan and David are Jared Lao, Inand Fornilos, Nikki Perez, Sidney Mosqueda, Diego Morales, Joshua Dela Cruz, 6’9” Ladis Lepalam and Mark Daniel Sangco.
“We will have the same players that we had at the start of the season. We just follow the program, and what we prepared for. Hopefully, we bag another one,” said LSGH coach Marvin Bienvenida.
Bienvenida talked about the Greenies’ title conquest during the team’s victory bash last Dec. 15.
The Greenies are now in early preparations after joining the Philippine Secondary Schools Basketball Championship and by playing in the Got Skills tournaments.
Former LSGH president Brother Felipe Belleza, FSC, who now handles the LSGH sports program, said they have been waiting for this championship for such a long time.
“That’s for more than five decades. Because in all other sports, we have won championships and dominated even. We have long streaks except in basketball. This is our fourth attempt since we rejoined the NCAA in 1998. And in our fourth attempt in the finals, we made it,” said Belleza.
Belleza, along with current president Victor Franco, joined members of the community and the Greenies in their celebrations, which will include a party on Jan. 19.