Will blue – or green – be the dominant color for UAAP Season 72?

MANILA, Philippines - Though defending champion Ateneo and perennial powerhouse La Salle are prohibitive title favorites, host Far Eastern University looms as one of the tournament’s darkhorse based on an already solid line-up boosted by RP youth mainstay RR Garcia and foreign player Hippolyte Noundou. Talent-wise, the Tams are a solid bunch with its starting unit led by PBL veterans and Smart-Gilas Pilipinas members Mark Barroca, Aldrech Ramos and JR Cawaling, Reil Cervantes and Jens Knuttel. Add a supporting cast that includes Garcia, Noundou and Paul Sanga to the mix and you got a championship contender in the making. But Ateneo still has last season’s Finals MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini, defensive specialist Nonoy Baclao, wily playmaker Jai Reyes and the outside-shooting duo of Ryan Buenafe and Eric Salamat in its fold. Over at La Salle, Green Archers mentor Franz Pumaren went into recruitment mode and snared one of the most sought-after high school standouts in Arvie Bringas, the former San Sebastian Staglet and 2008 NCAA Finals MVP. Focus should also be given to the five other schools after most of them overhauled their team personnel hoping to squeeze their way in for a Final Four spot. This season is expected to be one of the toughest semis races in recent years. Continuity Despite losing guards Chris Tiu and Yuri Escueta, and big men Mike Baldos and Jobe Nkemakolam to graduation, Ateneo coach Norman Black believes the Blue Eagles can end Season 72 as back-to-back champions. Only Tiu will be missing from Black’s starting unit last season with Season 71 Finals MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao, Jai Reyes and Ryan Buenafe back for another tour of duty for the blue crew. “The core of the team is still intact and I’m hoping that Eric (Salamat) will step up on his game this year to fill in the void left by Chris (Tiu)," said Black. Black said that although Tiu may not necessarily be the best player he had last year, the veteran guard’s leadership, poise and basketball IQ helped the team win the crown. Black’s bench will also be tested this season with holdovers Bacon Austria, Kirk Long, Tonino Gonzaga, Chris Sumalinog and Nico Salva expected to fill in the shoes vacated by Tiu and company. From scratch La Salle would have to contend with the absence of a legitimate big man to patrol the lanes especially after the sudden change of mind of veteran forward Rico Maierhofer to join the PBA draft next month. Ditto the scoring prowess of JV Casio. “It’s still the big problem of the team: We don’t have a legitimate center. Then we lose Rico and JV so we’re not really that strong compared to our previous team," said Pumaren, who will be joined by brother and former University of the East coach Dindo at the bench. Six new faces will be seeing action for the Archers this year. Aside from Bringas, the greenhorns are last year’s UAAP juniors MVP Sam Marata, former NCAA Mythical Team member Martin John Reyes, youth standout Jovet Mendoza, Gabriel Banal, son of former Ateneo mentor Joel Banal, and Joel Tolentino from Reedley International School. They will join hands with last year’s holdovers Simon Atkins, Peejay Barua, Indonesian cager Ferdinand, Bader Malabes, James Mangahas, Joshua Webb, Maui Villanueva and Kish Co. To prepare their rookie-laden crew for the hostilities, Pumaren sent the Green Archers to a two-week training camp under Tim Grover, former personal trainer to NBA legend Michael Jordan, last April. Pumaren, who will be assisted at the bench by his younger brother and former UE coach Dindo, said this training helped his players improve on their individual skills in shooting, decision making in certain situations and movements inside the court. Rising star Mark Barroca’s sudden rise as probably the country’s top playmaker in the amateur ranks has made the Tamaraws of coach Glen Capacio one of the title favorites this season. But Capacio was quick to downplay the Tams’ chances, stressing that the presence of Barroca alone is no guarantee they will go all the way to Promised Land. “We have eight rookies and eight veterans, balanse lang. Pero para sabihin na ang lakas namin dahil andiyan si Mark (Barroca) palagay ko hindi naman talaga ganun kalakas," said Capacio, counting Ateneo and La Salle as the teams to beat this year. “Siyempre hindi naman kaya ni Barroca na maipanalo ang laro mag-isa. Yes, no doubt about it, he can lead this team but still he needs the help of his teammates," added Capacio. As if heralding their readiness to bring the championship back to their Morayta campus, the Barroca-led Tams captured the seniors’ plum of the 2009 Nike Summer League in the pre-season. Getting over the hump Will the University of the East Red Warriors finally get over the hump this year after their recent heartbreaks? It certainly looks promising, basing on their successful campaign in the Abunnasar Impact Basketball (AIB)-arranged tournament featuring American junior colleges in Las Vegas and the Ming Dao Cup International Tournament in Taipei. Also take into consideration the experience gained by Paui Lee, Parri Llagas, Rudy Lingganay, Ralph Reyes,Val Acuna, Elmer Espiritu and Hans Thiele in the Cobra team which reached the finals of the Philippine Basketball League’s season-ending conference. These have made new coach Lawrence Chongson upbeat despite the graduation of James Martinez. “Malaking kawalan talaga si James, pero sa mga naging experience ng mga players ko sa off-season, kayang mapunan yung pagkawala n’ya," said Chongson, citing Red Warriors playmakers Lingganay, Lee, Paul Zamar and Reyes as the players he expects to step up their games this year. The Warriors’ training stint at the AIB in Reseda, California - the same camp that produced the likes of NBA stars Jermaine O’Neal, Vince Carter and Kevin Garnett - also helps mold the team into winners, said Chongson. “Napakalaking tulong nun para sa team dahil bukod sa na-boost ng husto ang morale ng mga bata dahil kami lang ang Filipino team na nanalo sa tournament na yun, na-appply pa nila sa laro yung natutunan nila sa AIB," he said. Big shoes to fill The departure of their prized slotman Jervy Cruz created a big hole in the roster of University of Santo Tomas, which aims to bounce back from their dismal dip from champions in 2007 to fifth place last year. And after failing to find an able replacement for their former MVP, the Tigers of Coach Pido Jarencio focused their training and preparation for the coming UAAP wars on their running game. “Malaki na ang inimprove ng team mula nang mag-umpisa kaming mag-training last January. Yung butas sa gitna, sisikapin na lang naming punan sa pamamagitan ng bilis," said Jarencio. Smart Gilas Team member Dylan Ababou is expected to lead the Tigers together with fellow holdovers Jeric Fortuna, Chris Camus, Clark Bautista and Khasim Mirza. “S'ya (Ababou) yung magiging bagong lider ng team. And hopefully, pagdating ng UAAP hindi mawala yung shooting n'ya at lalo pang mag-improve," said Jarencio. But aside from their run-and-gun game, Jarencio said his three P’s - “Puso, Pride and Palaban" - will still be at work for the team. Fighting chance Despite having seven new players in their roster, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons promised to be competitive this season. “We have seven new players but UP will still compete and fight for our school come UAAP," said second year coach Aboy Castro. For this year’s hostilities, Castro is banking on veterans Woodward Co, Martin Reyes, and Magi King Sison, who just came back from a stint with the national developmental team, to lead the Fighting Maroons. Reyes was the team’s second-leading scorer last year with an average of 11.4 points per game next to Jayfle Agbayani, who already finished his playing years with the Maroons. Co and Sison had norms of 9.1 and 6.6 points, respectively. Backstopping the trio are point guard Mike Gamboa, Arvin Braganza, Mark Lopez and former juniors MVP Andrew Marfori, as well as news recruits Moriah Gingerich, Mikee Reyes, John Lao, Alvin Padilla, Mark Juruena, Carlo Gomez and Dodoy Equiplog. Can this be the year? After finishing at the tailend last season, Adamson University Coach Leo Austria is optimistic about his team’s chances to make it back to the Final Four. “Apat na players lang ang nawala sa amin from last year (Marc Agustin, Paul Gonzalgo Rey Gorospe and Junard Yambot), kaya sa tingin ko, this is a great opportunity for Adamson to enter the Final Four this year," said Austria. Giving Austria the confidence is his wards’ performance in the pre-season leagues as well as the return of veteran playmaker Leo Canuday, who missed the previous year due to a recurring elbow injury. “Sa nakita kong laro nila last year at nitong nakaraang pre-season, talagang naniniwala ako na kaya namin makipag-agawan dun sa no. 4 slot," said Austria, who installed defending champion Ateneo, runner-up De La Salle University and host Far Eastern University as the teams that will possibly occupy the first three slots in the semifinals. “Yung pang-apat, may laban kami dun." Austria will be relying on holdovers Jan Colina, Lester Advarez Jerick Canada, Michael Galinato, Allan Santos, Alexander Nuyles and Chris Sandoval. Laying the foundation With a loads of newcomers in its line-up, National U coach Manny Dandan admits his Bulldogs’ fangs won’t be sharp enough to bring down the top dogs this year. “We’re not hoping nor aiming for an instant result but as I can see it, we can be one of the strongest team in the league in the next two to three years," said Dandan. For Dandan, lack of experience will be their biggest drawback this year. To try to offset this, he sent the team to an eight-month training session in Tagaytay and had them play tune-up matches and compete in the summer leagues. “We just focused on conditioning the team since we are perhaps the youngest team in the league," said Dandan. The Bulldogs will parade seven rookies, led by Kokoy Hermosisima, a prized find from Davao whom Dandan considers the rookie to watch for his team. The greenhorns are expected to be guided by returning players Michael Luy, Jerome Tungcul, Mervin Baloran, Joseph Terso and Jewel Ponferrada. - GMANews.TV