NCAA: Arellano's aiming higher but San Beda's still team to beat - Banal

After a quarterfinals finish in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup, the Arellano University Chiefs enter the 89th season of the NCAA as one of the title favorites in the upcoming season of the NCAA.

"Yung expectations, gusto namin ma-reach yon," said Arellano head coach Koy Banal.

"It is the job of the coaches to remind them [the players] na it's just one thing to achieve something dun sa preseason, but the other thing is yung daily routine namin, the effort the players give day in and day out.

"The team to beat is still San Beda," Banal added. "Dun sa next three teams that will make it to the final four, siyam na kaming magla-laban-laban dun."

Banal may have lost six players, but Nard Pinto, Levi Hernandez, James Forrester and Prince Caperal are still around, along with former JRU Light Bomber Keith Agovida, who once scored 82 points in the juniors ranks. And after defeating the defending NCAA champions San Beda in the preseason tournament, 67-66, the Chiefs are coming in to Season 89 with a renewed confidence.

"Siguro we can go to the conference with that confidence that we can go up against any team. Pero isang mahalaga samin yung binibigay na effort ng players everyday."

The Chiefs finished eighth in Season 88 with a 6-12 record, besting only the College of St. Benilde (5-13) and the Lyceum Pirates (3-15). - AMD, GMA News